#i had been hoping that the choice to string fans along was one that they didn’t have control over

[connecting-the-stars]

Crosshair and CX-2

Crosshair’s motivation and display of fear this season isn’t not lining up for me.

Yes, his looming guilt from season one and two have him throwing himself in the line of fire a lot. He feels he doesn’t deserve redemption.

Yes. He was tortured, and put through the CX program which failed but still left him at the mercy of Tantiss and Hemlock.

But basically every episode that has CX-2 coming after Omega and the batch, Crosshair is throwing himself into the path of convergence every time. Extraction and Calvary has Arrived (two times in each), cross is doing everything in his power to keep them separated. Like he knows something that no one else does.

Crosshair’s PTSD can absolutely be correlated to his torture, but in addition what if it’s also connected to losing his brother to the empire’s brainwashing. Hemlock and his terrible methods taking advantage of the smartest and one of the most capable soldiers, his brother who can think his way out of anything who he knows never supported the corruption of the authorities above them, be turned into someone he doesn’t recognize. That fear growing to expand the others. If tech can be reprogrammed, just because Crosshair himself was in the clear doesn’t mean his other brothers are not. We focus on the shot of the four evil batch, and crosshair doesn’t waste any time demanding the others retreat before him. He’s constantly placing himself as a barrier between CX-2 specifically, like we aren’t even looking at Hemlock here.

The big bad scientist that created these guys, that executed Crosshair’s torture for information. But the frame focuses in on CX-2 once again, his hand starts shaking worse and then cuts to Cross immediately demanding that the others retreat. Yes. He’s trying to save his brothers like he knows he failed in the past, but this is just too pointed. Especially with their waterfall fight, crosshair really took that beating, nearly drowning. When they crash down the first waterfall it SO feels like crosshair is just operating on the defensive. Like the knowledge that CX-2 is away from the batch, he’s not fighting as aggressively, the offense is over with.

Dude, I know I joined late in the game. The first episode I was able to watch live for season 3 was Juggernaut. I had finally caught up from s1-2 in like lil over a week. But I saw people spotlighting the moment in extraction where CX-2 is drowning crosshair and cross stops hitting his arm. Instead he grabs it, it like one does when they tap out in sports and wrestling. Literally had my lil brain running in circles fully sold on the idea that cross KNOWS who CX-2 is.

Side note: I am running on like 4? 3 hours of sleep from this morning. But I think i would enjoyed the concept of introducing this dark mirror of the bad batch at the start of the season and the bad discover that they are clones which were reprogrammed on Tantiss. Having the season revolving around saving these guys despite how far gone they appear. Of recruiting some of them to help free Tantiss prisoners. And working with Rex would just naturally be apart of it. Of emphasizing the theme of not giving up on your family, of listening to Omega’s faith in her brothers and in others

[toiletclown]

breathless. (part two.)

spencer agnew x gn!reader

mostly fluff, a little angst.

part two of probably 5/6 (i can't stop writing this fic)

summary: to 'train' for an upcoming guitar hero stream, you head to spencer's for the first time in weeks. the tension is thick, and you have to call your best friend, angela, for some input. your feelings were growing to lengths you weren't sure you could handle -- but what other choice do you have?

word count: 2251 (7000+ remaining)

‧͙⁺˚*･༓☾　　☽༓･*˚⁺‧͙

It was not fine. The AC in Spencer’s apartment had broken sometime between him going into the office and him coming back home. He sent you a text to let you know, and even offered to bring all his stuff to yours if that was easier, but you knew how many cords and controllers that entailed and told him it was fine, you’d just wear something you’d be comfortable in.

However, you were not prepared for just how warm his apartment was. You came over in a cropped baby tee and some comfy shorts, but you had worn a very thin cardigan over the shirt, hoping it would be thin enough you could keep it on. But alas, the world was constantly against you, and about fifteen minutes into your visit you knew you had to shed the layer. The windows were open but there was no breeze, and the standing fan and ceiling fan were working overtime. 

So here you were, standing in Spencer’s living room, attempting to hide your Guitar Hero skills while also trying to hide your discomfort. Honestly, you weren’t even sure why you were uncomfortable. It’s Spencer. He’s seen you in worse. At least this outfit is cute, right? When you finally pulled yourself out of your thoughts, you realized you were beating Spencer in 1v1 by a country mile. What the hell was he doing? You knew he was good at this game, and despite you purposefully missing every few notes and hitting the whammy bar much too late, he was still way, way behind.

You paused the game and turned to look at him. You had been standing in front of the couch, since it was a little harder to play the guitar when sitting down. He, however, was sitting on the couch in gym shorts he had no right to be wearing (They were so short that if he moved one inch the wrong way there would be a problem. Why did he pick such slutty little shorts??) and a Zelda triforce logo tank top. His arms were on full display, along with his gorgeous legs, and you had to admit your words got caught in your throat when you saw him. You hadn’t really looked at him with much precision when you arrived because you were more focused on how warm the apartment was, but now, seeing him with his leg balanced on his knee and the guitar lazily draped in his lap, you were borderline salivating.

“You okay, Peach?” He always called you that, since you had a penchant for snacking on peaches and preferred to play as Princess Peach whenever the two of you played Mario Party or Mario Kart. He never let it slip at work, but a part of you wanted him to. Just to see how someone else would react to it. Would they hear it as a platonic, long-term-friendship type of nickname, or would they pick up on a subtle romantic vibe beneath that? Was it crazy to want that romantic connotation? 

“Oh, yeah, I’m okay. Are you, though? I’m not very good at this and I’m still beating your ass. You good over there?” You willed your blush away at his nickname for you, knowing he, realistically, didn’t have any romantic implications behind it. You knew why he called you that, and it made sense. Let’s not think too hard on it, okay? No need to make a romantic mountain out of a friend-shaped mole hill.

Spencer sighed, opening and closing his mouth a few times before finding his words. “Yeah, sorry. The heat is kind of making my brain blank out, I guess.” He stood, pulling the string on his ceiling fan to move it from medium to high speed. You were silently wondering why it wasn’t already on high, but chose not to question him. You also knew he was lying. You’ve been friends with Spencer (on top of having severe unrequited feelings for him) for far too long, and you knew him better than he knew himself. You knew all of his tells, and currently, he was avoiding eye contact and picking at his right thumb, which he always did when he was nervous and/or lying.

You sat down next to him, still leaving some space due to the heat. You were both quite physically affectionate with one another, but lately you had both pulled back in that regard, though neither of you wanted to say anything about it. While he had basically stopped being touchy-feely altogether, you still attempted that contact sometimes. He didn’t react the way he used to.

“Spence, honey, I’ve known you far too long for you to lie to my face. What’s going on?” You voiced your concern with a gentle hand on his thigh, close enough to his knee that it didn’t come across wrong, but also far enough away from his knee that you felt a whoosh in your stomach. It was too late to move it now without him calling you on it, though, so you left it there.

He took a deep breath, seemingly gearing up for a word vomit. But instead he shook his head. “Sorry, I’m just dealing with some… personal stuff, I guess, and I was lost in my head. We can get back to it, I’m sorry, Y/N.” He patted your hand with his, before moving to grab the guitar again and start the game back up. You pulled your hand away, burning, and decided you needed to leave. 

“Oh, it’s… it’s okay. I’ll head out, leave you to your thoughts. You can always text me if you need me, okay? I’ll see you tomorrow?” You stood to start gathering your stuff, and you felt Spencer’s eyes on your back as you bent over to pet one of his cats. The cropped tee was definitely showing off more of you than he had seen before, so it was only natural for him to look. But you wondered what he was thinking, too.

“Oh. Yeah. Yeah, I’ll see you tomorrow. Sorry again about the AC being broken. Maintenance should be coming by soon,” Spencer supplied, walking with you to the door. “Hopefully I won’t have to sweat to death for much longer.”

You both laughed, and you held your arms out for a hug. Spencer hesitated, before returning the hug and reassuring you that he’ll see you tomorrow. You offered him a goodbye and told him you loved him, like you both did every time you parted. You didn’t miss the fact that he didn’t say it back this time.

//

Angela, please help me. You didn’t know who to talk to about this. Your thoughts had been a bubbling mess for hours at this point, and you couldn’t talk to Spencer, and you weren’t quite ready to talk to Courtney about it. Courtney should be your go-to about this situation, but you weren’t sure how to broach it. Hey, you went from coworkers to friends to lovers. How do I do that? wasn’t exactly the best icebreaker to get into the conversation. Angela had heard you vent many times before, and although you never, ever named Spencer in the conversations, you had no doubt that little Italian gremlin knew you were talking about him. Angela was very intuitive and just because you leave a few details out and refuse to use his name in conversation, that doesn’t mean she can’t pick up on everything else. Especially since Erin was clearly picking up on it. Among others.

What an ominous text to receive at 1am. What’s up babe? 

Holy fuck, was it that late already? You checked the time and sure enough, it was 1:03am. You’d been in your head for far longer than you thought.

Oh fuck I didn’t even realize it was that late lol my bad queen :(( we can hold off till tmr it’s nbd!

NOPE you’re not pulling that shit, ft me rn

You sighed, but it was near impossible to say no to Angela, so you turned your desk lamp on and hit the FaceTime button. You needed to get this out of your system soon anyway, it was starting to eat at you. With other people seeing it clear as day you felt as though you should probably work your feelings out before Spencer realized.

“Hello there my gorgeous best friend, what’s on your mind?” Angela was clearly in bed, face lit only by her phone and the fairy lights she kept strung up around her room. “Is it Spencer?”

Your face went pale at her question, which answered her for you. “Oh, so it is Spencer! Did you ask him out? Did he ask you out? When’s the wedding? Can I sing at the reception? Oh, that might be weird, right? What would I even sing? Oh, I know–”

“Angela.”

“Sorry, go on.”

She let you ramble on for a few minutes, starting from the beginning. When you were hired and instantly bonded with him. When the movie nights turned to movie sleepovers and the game nights turned to game weekends. When he got promoted to cast, then you got promoted, and suddenly your friendship felt different. The first Erin Dougal meme, the second Erin Dougal meme, and finally, whatever the fuck had happened tonight. The way he was distant, but not cold. The way you could feel his eyes on you, and the two times you caught him “lost in his thoughts” as Erin had phrased it. His lack of response when you told him you loved him tonight. That was what hurt the most. He had never left you hanging when you said it, and he said it more often than you did. At lunch, on set, while watching him play Fortnite. You always reassured each other in every aspect of life. And suddenly, it was like that reassurance and friendship was going dormant.

“I just don’t know what I did wrong, I guess? It seems like out of nowhere we lost our friendship and we’re back to being acquaintances, in a way. He’s not as touchy anymore, and he gets weird when I am. He rarely invites me over anymore. I haven’t stayed the night in months. And he didn’t say he loved me before I left tonight. He’s never not said it back. And like, why? What changed? What did I do wrong?” Once your word salad was out and in the open, Angela sat for a minute, thinking on how she wanted to respond.

“Okay, I have a question before we proceed.”

“Ask away.”

“Do you want me to respond as your best friend or as your coworker?”

“Is there a difference?”

“Only slightly.”

“Then as my best friend, please.” You took a breath in, knowing with this selection came some harsh words. If she was responding as your coworker she would be nothing but kind, but with the best friend response you knew she was going to drag you, hard. But at this point, you needed that, didn’t you?

“Y/N, my sunshine, my flower, my angel. He’s pulled back significantly as of late because he thinks that his feelings for you are one-sided.”

“His–”

“Don’t interrupt me, you clown!” 

“Okay!” You laughed along with your friend, knowing that this conversation was going to be hard but it was necessary.

“He sees all these things in a different light because, somewhere in the timeline of your friendship, he got it in his head that you would never reciprocate his feelings. So now, all those things he used to enjoy, almost hurt now. Your touch on his skin is no longer comforting, because he wants more. And he doesn’t think he’s capable of getting that. He’s scared. He doesn’t want to lose you, but he also is having trouble coping with the fact that he doesn’t know if he can ‘just be friends’ with you. Spencer might have held his façade quite well for quite some time, but it’s cracking now and he’s scared. He doesn’t want to lose his best friend, but he also doesn’t want to be strictly friends anymore. He wants to love you openly, and he thinks he can’t do that.”

“Jesus, Angela. How do you even know all this?” You were absorbing her words, letting them flow through you. Spencer thinks his romantic feelings for you are one-sided? Spencer has romantic feelings for you? What the hell is going on, man?

“Because three and a half minutes before you texted me, he also texted me. I was basically reading his text out loud, word-for-word. And before you yell at me for breaking his trust, you are my best friend and I am legally obligated to tell you everything, just like you are legally obligated to tell me everything. Even though you seem to think I can’t parse that the guy you’ve been obsessing and gushing over is Spencer despite your obvious phrasing. You're not as slick as you think, babe.”

You sat in silence for a moment, really trying to let everything sink in. Your feelings weren’t one sided. You had a chance with him. He didn't suddenly dislike you, or hate you, or not enjoy your company. It was just harder now. And that, that you understood, quite thoroughly.

“Ang, how do I unfuck this?”

“I already have a plan for you, Peach.”

You groaned, “Okay, that’s not fair!”

“I know, I know. So here’s what you're going to do…”

‧͙⁺˚*･༓☾　　☽༓･*˚⁺‧͙

taglist: @lokidokieokie (thanks for being my first ever taglister hehe)

[ashtavula]

Regarding your Housewardens with idol s/o fic

It's a pretty well known fact that Kalim is good with playing the drums, so I can only imagine him begging his s/o to play in their next concert so they'd be together on stage

...now I'm thinking about all of pop music club begging to play with you! So I hope you don't mind me adding them too!

Kalim, Cater, and Lilia performing with an idol s/o

Kalim:

-It started when your drummer called out sick, and couldn't show up for practice. Kalim was quick to offer his assistance, and he did a great job. One practice session turned into two, then three while you all waited for your usual drummer to recover. But once he does, Kalim begs you to keep him on the band. He loves the feeling of helping you perform, and he really wants to actually go up on stage with you. Kalim clings to you, pouting and whining and showing you his best puppy eyes. You eventually relent, stating that he can be your drummer for one show.

-Well, that's what you said, anyway. But Kalim ends up drumming at quite a few of your concerts. He always thought that cheering with the rest of the crowd was fun, but he likes performing with you even more. Your fans always spot him mouthing along with the lyrics and bobbing his head up and down as he skillfully bangs away at his drums, thoroughly immersed in your energy. And when you glance back at him after a song, Kalim always flashes you a bright grin as he mouths out the words, "I love you."

Cater:

-He initially wasn't interested in actually playing with you, but he likes talking shop with your guitarist. The two of them sometimes goof around, going back and forth about the instrumentals for your songs. The rest of the band likes Cater, too. They all like Cater enough to ask him to temporarily replace your guitarist when the poor guy breaks his wrist. It takes a bit of cajoling from you, but Cater comes around to the idea. It's just for a few shows, right?

-Wrong. Cater didn't anticipate just how much he'd love getting to watch you from his spot on the stage. He gives you the softest smiles while he strums on his guitar, his foot tapping along to the beat. He really wants to take a few pictures of you like this, just so he can look back at how cute you are from his point of view. Fortunately for him, he can just station some of his clones in various spots to get some snapshots. And once the show is over, he hopes you'll agree to take a few more pictures with your favorite guitarist.

Lilia:

-Lilia's been begging for a chance to get on stage with you ever since he realized that you were an idol. He thinks it'd be ridiculously fun to perform with you. Especially if you let him sing with you! You've had to gently turn him down more times than you can count, since you're pretty sure that your manager would kill you if Lilia disrupted one of your performances. Despite your consistent refusals, Lilia still likes to hang around during practices, plucking on the strings of his bass guitar. And when your bassist suddenly gets held up in traffic right before a performance, you have no choice but to hope that your batty boyfriend can fill his shoes for the night.

-Turns out that Lilia gets serious when he's performing with you. Sure, he's grinning like a maniac and mouthing along to the lyrics, but he plays the bass perfectly for you. And he hypes up your fans too, silently encouraging them to cheer even louder...and encouraging their cries for an encore. Now that Lilia has gotten what he wanted, he just gets worse about wanting to perform with you. He openly laments that you don't love him when he doesn't get invited to practices, and then he shows up anyway, moping as he holds his bass. At this point, you're better off letting Lilia play, if only to stop his melodramatics.

[mirisss]

A Love Worth Waiting For

TXT OT5 x soulmate! afab! reader

Wordcount ≈ 1.9k

Warnings: angst, death threats (nothing explicit), mentioning a saesang following TXT & (Y/n), I think that’s it. 

Thank you for the request! This was so cute! I hope you like it! 

Please reblog! 

Third Person POV

(Y/n) (L/n) debuted as an actress in early 2019. Her popularity grew gravely with each show and movie she did, as did her roles in them. She started out as someone who only had one line to being the lead. Netizens and international fans all fell in love with the young actress, especially once she joined some variety shows and showed the fans her personality. 

In the same year, 2019, a new 5 member boy-group debuted under Bighit Ent. Tomorrow X Together, also known as TXT. TXT just like (Y/n), grew in popularity and soon had quite the fanbase. 

The moment that all the members of TXT met each other they found out they were soulmates as a light red string appeared, it gently wrapped itself around their wrists as a bracelet. As they studied the string they found that it seemed to be searching for another wrist to wrap around yet it could not find it. The boys all looked at each other, happy to have found one another, albeit a little disappointed to be missing one soulmate. “Hey, we’ll find our missing soulmate soon!” Beomgyu said, trying to cheer everyone up. “Yeah, we’ll find them!” Kai exclaimed happily as all of them smiled. 

Two years passed and TXT’s Soobin had become an MC for Music Bank, the members were really proud of their leader for accepting it and branching out a little outside of his comfort zone. Soobin really enjoyed and he was very excited when it was announced that (Y/n) (L/n) would join him as the new MC for Music Bank. All members of TXT found (Y/n) very cute and they loved her acting, so Soobin was happy about getting to work with one of his idols - though Bebe Rexha probably would have been his first choice if he could choose. 

Soobin’s POV

I woke up feeling super excited. Today was (Y/n)’s first day as an MC and I would finally get to meet her! I really hoped we would get along well. The other boys joked around with me at breakfast, saying I was too energetic and outgoing to be the real Choi Soobin. I just smacked Beomgyu on the head as he said that before leaving. On the way to the studio I practiced how I would introduce myself to (Y/n), I wanted to make a good first impression. My whole body was tingling with excitement. 

I hurried inside the studio as soon as the car was parked, turned out, (Y/n) hadn’t shown up yet. She was running late because of traffic. Hopefully she would just get here before we have to go on stage. I was nervous, more than usual, probably because I would meet (Y/n). 3 minutes before we had to go on stage, (Y/n) came running inside the studio. She was even prettier in person than on tv. My whole body felt warm, I felt butterflies in my stomach, a similar feeling to when I met the other boys for the first time. As I took a glance at my hand, I saw the familiar red string that I hadn’t seen in years, wrapped around my wrist. My eyes followed the string as it stretched outwards, looking for the person who would complete it. Soon enough the string found the wrist it wished to rest around, as my eyes traveled from the wrist to the person’s face, I gasped. I met the shocked eyes of none other than (Y/n). (Y/n) was our final soulmate. 

Before we had a chance to speak we had to go on stage. It was a bit awkward but I knew we would be able to speak after the show. I was a bit anxious, what if she didn’t like me or the others. No, I shouldn’t think like that, we’re soulmates. She will like us. Just like we like her. After the show ended, (Y/n) and walked of stage and just stood awkwardly beside each other. I didn’t know what to say and I guess neither did she. I thought of what Yeonjun or really any of the others would do in this situation. “Hey, I’m Choi Soobin, I’m a member of TXT if you’ve heard of us,” (Y/n) giggled as I put my hand out for her to shake. She looked down at my hand before she met my eyes once more, she took my hand and gently shook it. “I’m (Y/n), I’m an actress if you’ve heard of me,” “Of course I have, I love your dramas,” “I love your songs too! Especially Runaway!” We continued talking for a few minutes, I told (Y/n) that I’m not her only soulmate but all members of TXT are. (Y/n) gave me her number and told me to text her so she could meet the others too. 

As I got home that day and told the others that I had met our soulmate, the other four were very jealous. “THAT’S SO UNFAIR WHY DID YOU GET TO MEET HER BEFORE US” Kai and Beomgyu yelled in unison. Taehyun and Yeonjun didn’t believe me at first but as they saw how serious I was they began jumping around in happiness. “WE’RE GONNA MET OUR SOULMATE, WE’RE GONNA MEET OUR SOULMATE” We all jumped around, chanting happily as we celebrated finally meeting our final soulmate. 

Third Person POV

The day after, Soobin texted (Y/n) and so they arranged a day when they could all meet up. The six of them were happy and spent the entire day chatting, getting to know one another, and possibly a hug and kiss happened too. They told their managers and so it was arranged for them to meet regularly. This then turned into (Y/n) moving in with TXT, she didn’t switch agencies just to keep it hidden from the public. The managers thought that it might be too suspicious for (Y/n) to swap agencies before her contract was over. 

The soulmates were happy to live with each other. Loving every second of their lives. All was good in their paradise, until a saesang found them on a date. The soulmates had been discussing with the companies a plan on how to announce their relationship, them being soulmates and all meant that the chance of them breaking up was just about zero so it would be better to just announce it and hope that the fans would congratulate them rather than hate on them. 

It was a late autumn day, getting colder and closer to Christmas each day. A few snowflakes had fallen earlier in the day. Now, the sun had set and the sky had been cast into a deep darkness. Our six soulmates were out on a date, they had a table booked at a nice restaurant. Unbeknownst to them, an upset fan had been following the group since they saw their favorite idol parading around with his group and a girl. A girl the fan knew quite well, everyone knew who (Y/n) was. The fan followed them, capturing picture after picture in hopes of destroying the young actress for hanging out with the fans favorite idol. 

(Y/n) and the boys of TXT had a nice dinner together. As they went home they were all happily laughing, enjoying the cold evening together. It was quite peaceful outside, most people staying inside to escape the cold breezes of late autumn. As they got home, they changed into their pyjamas and went to bed all cuddled together. Happy and more in love than ever. 

The morning to come though, was not as happy as the night before. 

The six soulmates woke up to all their phones blowing up with texts and calls from their managers and friends from their companies. (Y/n) and Soobin were the first to answer the calls from their respective managers while Yeonjun, Beomgyu, Taehyun, and Kai checked the texts and found the pictures of them out with (Y/n) the previous night. Also pictures of comments from thousands of fans sending hate to them but mostly to (Y/n). Threats of boycotting the actress’ works or the boys, however majority of the threats were death-threats directed toward (Y/n). 

“Hello,” “(Y/n), were are you?” “I am at the apartment, with the boys. Why?” “Stay there. We’re sending a car with security to get you to the company,” “What’s going on?” “Someone exposed your relationship and people aren’t happy. You’ve been receiving death threats all night with people saying they’re gonna seriously hurt you,” (Y/n) gasped as she dropped her phone, her arms shaking. She had been half asleep as she answered the call but now she was wide awake. Yeonjun put his phone down and rushed toward (Y/n), enveloping her in a tight hug. Shushing her with soothing words, hoping to calm her down. 

Soobin too ended his call. The same information had been relayed to him, a car was being sent for them. A crisis meeting was to be held between their company and (Y/n)’s to figure out how to deal with the situation. Never before had a soulmate relationship been announced this way to the public, never before had such a big controversy arroused from it. 

Soon enough, they had all gotten dressed. Just in time for the two cars to arrive for them. Fortunately, no one knew where they lived so it was safe for them to walk out to the cars. The problems would be once they arrived at the companies. Because that’s where the public can get to them. 

For three days, the members of TXT and (Y/n) had to stay at their company buildings for safety reasons. During the first day, the companies had written up an explanation and proof of the soulmate bond that excited between TXT and (Y/n). After the response to the saesangs post was published, majority of the public calmed down. The soulmate bond had not been included in the saesangs post as they didn’t know of it so once it was announced netizens found their relationship sweet. However, a smaller group of people still threatened the safety of (Y/n) and TXT. That group couldn’t accept that their favorite idol or actress had found their forever person/s. 

After three days, it was safe enough for the soulmates to return to their home. A new article was published, announcing (Y/n)’s transfer to HYBE as her exclusive contract with her company had come to an end. Now, the public was celebrating their relationship as most people dreamed of finding their own soulmate. Of course, a few people were always going to be against their relationship but they were happy together and now that they could go on dates outside without worrying about being seen, they went out as often as possible. 

It was a love worth waiting and fighting for. A happy ending for (Y/n), Soobin, Yeonjun, Beomgyu, Taehyun and Kai. Six souls bound together into one thanks to fate.

[whumpsoda]

I have the idea that nevan and malak would watch a nature documentary in their downtime (new adrastus idea to help them relax and remain somewhat stimulated while remaining calm and entranced)

then a highland cow or a beetle shows up on screen and malak’s eye widen and he focuses on the screen more alertly

"that's... myyy... mm... ffav... favorite. mmmm... favorite..."

and nevan perks up cause it’s?? the first time he’s heard malak speak??

WOHEO Masterlist

OH? MY GOD? It’s not the greatest but I couldn’t not write this… I truly hope I sort of did this idea justice!!

Taglist- @softvampirewhump

cw: hypnosis, pet whump

———————————————————————

The television, glowing bright and glitching with the occasional static, buzzed as a voice droned over the flash of visuals. Prancing, fuzzy animals danced across the screen as someone spoke, the volume too faint to clearly make out.

The two thralls sat and followed along with each next critter in mindless fascination, both far too entranced to digest any actual information.

Malak’s pudgy cheek was slumped against the other’s relaxed shoulder, Nevan’s head lolled to the back of the plush couch they sat atop. Malak was, to no surprise, swaddled in a cradle of a bedspread and curled up, and Nevan was perfectly content with his own singular blanket draped across his lap.

Their similarly glossy vision trailed across the screen dopely as each new image flared up, new knowledge streaming through one ear and out the other.

Adrastus’ go to was always animal or nature documentaries when they and Darius wanted their alone time, without the presence of their respective thralls. Nevan was sure they were in the kitchen then, sweet laughter and low purring music drifting from below the door that separated the pairs.

Nevan wasn’t a fan nor a foe to the vampire's program choices, he was utterly content with whatever his masters were to choose, but he couldn’t deny his delight in knowing Malak just adored the documentaries. 

While Malak was never exactly one to show much emotion, his brain being often far too liquidated to do so, it came easy for Nevan to see through the heavenly haze. The way his draped eyes glittered with each new image, the way he subconsciously tipped to the screen in enchantment.

With each slight blink of an eye the screen flickered, almost as if Nevan was skipping through time with every drowsy shut of his lids.

It’d felt as if the two had been watching for hours. Maybe they were. It was completely possible the two were viewing on a repeating loop, and would continue until their masters decided to turn it off, whenever that would be.

Nevan didn’t mind. He would stay there, perfectly positioned and losing himself in the technology, for as long as his masters so pleased.

Even as his brain was stuck a consistent pool of mush, Nevan recognized as a dribble of drool slipped from Malak’s puckered lips, slipping down the supple flesh of his arm.

The older man’s thick flesh and easy breath was a comfortable warmth, that had his body not been so heavy and distant, Nevan would have happily nestled into.

The screen switched again, and the sudden lug of Malak’s head cut a slit in the deep spell Nevan was enthralled under. From the corner of his eye he observed as the other man lifted his cumbersome body, dizzy from the heaviness, and instead of falling back into the cushions, lurched forward.

Ever so carefully Malak stretched out his thick arms, lazily clawing at the television, weak but determined. 

Nevan perked as Malak’s lips carefully parted, saliva connecting the bottom and top in a moist string.

Malak’s full brows furrowed in a mix of confusion and awareness, and his eyes grew wide as saucers. “Mm.. ah…” he grunted in befuddled excitement.

Nevan’s clouded vision gingerly drifted further open with compulsion, his head rolling to get a better look at the other thrall. His jaw fell flimsily slack as he attempted to reach into his mind for just this moment. 

“That’s… myyy… mm… ffav… favorite.” Malak mumbled, tumbling through a half baked thought to half coherent words. “Mmmm… favorite…” He drawled, urgently grabbed at the screen, fully ignoring the fact that he was several feet away. It didn’t seem to deter his attempts.

His hands flailed eagerly to grasp at something he simply could not, too charmed and captivated by whatever had snatched his full attention, effectively yanking him from brainless mesmerization.

Had Nevan not been so entranced by the man beside him, he may have checked the television, simply to find what he had been so excited over, but he couldn’t bear to pull himself away.

Malak only seemed to slow as the program changed, the monotonous voice inside the screen turning to something else. His face dropped sluggishly, losing his strange spurt of life, and his sound drew to a dissatisfied groan. 

Nevan intently watched as Malak’s body drooped once again, arms absentmindedly curling around the plump bull plush in his lap.

He swayed woozily, the enthrallment slithering quickly back and taking it’s hold on him once again. He idly plopped his upper body into Nevan’s lap. 

Nevan savored the distant, sweet sensation of shock.

Malak talked. 

He spoke words.

No matter how faint or muddled, that didn’t overshadow the magnificent fact. 

His sound was unfamiliar, yet somehow exactly as Nevan had imagined it would be.

Soft but deep, a gruff gravel tainting the edges of each word, and yet humming smoothly through one’s ears. Malak’s disordered speech licked his eardrums, a sweet echo that nicely stuck to Nevan’s brain.

He turned his gaze, peering down at the man in his lap, who was rapidly losing conciousness. He hesitantly lifted his weak muscles, placing his slender hand to Malak’s dotted skin.

Malak purred at the touch, nuzzling into it and the lush blanket underneath his head, back in his usual dreamy state.

Would Nevan remember the other man’s voice later, when the documentary was switched off, and so was his mind? When he finally dozed off into unconsciousness, only to wake when the vampires desired to play with his mind once again? He didn’t know.

What he did know for certain, was that the one memory he truly wished to hold onto forever, would have to be the beautiful sound of his best friend’s voice.

[stoneagedevil]

Her Song | Eddie Munson x f!reader

TW/CW: slight mention of sexual activity.

You’d wondered if accepting the responsibility of opening for one of your favorite bands was worth it anymore. A choice that had initially had you choking on butterflies of excitement now left you remorseful and regretful.

Not regretful for who’ve you met and the wonderful opportunities you’ve had along the way, but regretful for who’ve you made angry. It’s not like you were there first anyways.

Chrissy was.

Chrissy Cunningham. America’s newest skinny, tan, blonde model. She had a body sculpted by the Gods, and Eddie’s sultry lyrics in his greatest hit was a constant reminder of that. Despite the fact that they broken up, you’d felt as if she never really left. The riffs to her song were ingrained in the strings of his beloved guitar, “Sweetheart,” and you’d been left wondering if you’d feel better after stealing it and replacing the strings yourself. His vocal cords and soft lips danced in harmony, performing “Midnight Blondie” night after night.

It was a song about their unbridled passion in the bedroom. All of her perfections, her taste, her eyes, her everything.

And you’d have to listen to it. You. Not a model, but a musician. Not perfect, but rough around the edges. No sleek hair, but wild and spiky. Not perfect makeup where it should be, all the sweat and emotion of performing had always left your lipstick smeared, cheeks flushed, and eye makeup running. Not a body fit for modeling, your tattoos would all be in the way. You were her opposite, and of course you were. You didn’t have a song.

But little known to Eddie, he had a million. A lot of the material you performed with your band “H/C and the Banshees” was inspired by your inability to tear your heart shaped eyes away from your rockstar boyfriend. You felt like a pathetic puppy, and your bandmates started to take notice.

“Y/N, why don’t you just talk to him? Tell him that he needs to retire that song. We’re all sick of hearing it y’know.” F/N said. At their voice, you startled, moving your somber eyes to look at your friend.

“Because. I can’t.” It had been something you’d been trying to come to terms with. “I see the comments his fans leave. They miss that good girl and bad boy vibe from Chrissy and Eddie. I came into the picture and now I wish I hadn’t.” A tear rolled down your cheek as your throat closed up and nose burned. “I-I just can’t.” You ferociously wiped your tears away, not one to normally cry. Especially not in front of others.

“Dude, it doesn’t matter what the ‘fans’ think.” They emphasized with finger quotes, “if those cretins actually support him then they’d want him to be with someone who makes him happy, and you know there’s more support than hate out there. You’re a match made in Heaven. Or Hell, whichever you prefer.” They sat beside you backstage, rubbing your back gently. The soothing gesture almost made you cry more.

“I can’t….now……but, maybe I will soon.” Is all you could really say. You couldn’t voice that you weren’t sure if you were the one that truly made him happy. Not like she did.

“You can do it. I’ve never doubted you in my life, and I’m not starting now.” They smiled warmly at you, causing the corners of your lips to pluck up a bit.

“Yeah yeah.” You rolled your eyes playfully, smiling a little wider.

But it still didn’t reach your eyes.

-

The concert was over, and after chilling in the dressing rooms backstage and getting a bite to eat at the best rated restaurant nearby, you’d have to pile into your tour bus and head to the next destination, where within another beautiful theater, you’d have to listen to that damn song you hated with your whole being.

In order to kickstart the rest of the night, you set off for your dressing room, hoping the sooner you got there, the sooner you could eat and leave another “Midnight Blondie” tainted venue. Perhaps it was a mistake to do so, as the minute you shut the door that had your name plastered on it, you broke down once more.

It’s not like you were jealous. No, jealously would imply that you had competition, and you felt you stood no chance against a literal supermodel. You kicked over your chair and plummeted onto the velvet couch sat against the wall.

The door suddenly bursted open with a palpable excitable energy.

“Hey sweets! Holy shit. It was crazy out there. Did you hear them cheering? They were louder than the last….crowd……sweets?” All at once, Eddie’s boisterous nature had left like a spirit leaving the dead. “Honey, what’s wrong?” His eyebrows morphed into that of concern, and he rushed to the couch, to you. Wrapping his arm around you, trying to comfort you, but it truly only made it feel worse.

“Yeah Eddie. I heard.” You said shortly, your voice dripping with sadness as your face dripped with tears. “You did great.” You tried to walk back the initial anger you felt. It wasn’t his fault.

“Sweetheart, tell me what’s the matter. Did you get heckled or something?” He craned his neck to meet your eyes with his. You’d began to wonder if he had some sort of superpower held within those chocolate eyes. Every gaze of concern was like a truth serum shot, and you’d give in every time.

Well almost.

“Nothing. I’m fine. I’m just, like, homesick or whatever.” That was obviously a lie. You didn’t really have a home. He looked at you with that, ‘really?’ expression. Yes. Really.

“Look, I know I’m not exactly a genius, but I think I can tell when my girlfriend is lying.” He smiled softly in an attempt to make you smile back.

Suddenly, you exploded. “Eddie. I hate that song you always sing.” Instantly, you felt rotten.

He was obviously taken aback at this. What song? Which of them didn’t you like? His fans loved a lot of them, and while he had a flop every now and then, what artist didn’t?

“Think about it.” You encouraged snidely, seeing the thoughts fizzle out.

And then the gears in his head started turning. The pieces to the puzzle started falling into place.

Ever since you guys got together and started touring, your music would get progressively more angry. Of course it always had an edge, your voice was one of the first things he fell in love with, but lately it was just different. He assumed you were just trying out a new sound, but you strained your voice as if your heart was strained just the same. You’d be happy up until the crowd’s cries for encores. And when he gave into the crowd, he’d notice that post-performance euphoria dissipate.

It was Chrissy’s song. And holy shit. He was a fucking idiot.

“I-I’m sorry! Shit. I fucked up.” He panicked, more to himself, “I fucked up bad. Y/N I’m so sorry, I wasn’t thinking.” How could he be so stupid? His current girlfriend’s band opened for his, and then she’d have to sit through his whole concert until he sang a song dedicated to his ex. More so his ex’s body. He felt slimey.

“It’s okay, I just-“

“No! It’s not! Y/N you mean so much to me. I’ve never met anyone like you before. To be honest, I’ve written like a shit ton of songs about you. About everything about you. But I never play them because I’m afraid you won’t like them. They need to be perfect because you’re so fucking perfect.” He looked absolutely desperate now.

“But I’m not her.” You looked so deeply into his eyes when you said those words, his heart felt like thin ice you were carefully walking across. He’d let you down.

“And I never want you to be. I’m with you now, and I’m with you for a reason.”

Your heart stopped for a second, you’re sure of that. “Do you really mean that? I just feel like everyone wishes you were still with her.”

“Are you kidding?! Fuck them. I don’t care what anyone thinks. Never have, never will. Well, except you.” He added, smiling, and you laughed in response. He held you tighter. “Y/N, I’m never playing that song again. It doesn’t mean anything to me. You’re worth more to me than cheers from a crowd. I’d rather hear the whole world go silent.”

Jesus. You were a sucker for Eddie Munson. And how could you not be when he said shit like that?

“You’re a dork. I love you.” You rolled your eyes, sniffling slightly. What else could you say? You were speechless. More of a singer than a talker.

“And I love you more. So guess what? I’m going to write the best fucking love song ever dedicated to you. It’ll make everyone have heart attacks with how romantic it is.” He held your shoulders in his hands, pushing you away from him in order to make eye contact, assuring that his word is truth.

And it was.

[heyidkyay]

Just wondering if you would ever consider writing a Matty fic where he falls in love with a fan in the audience of a show? Maybe he writes songs about it all? It’s very cliche but man does it pull on my heart strings, the Cinderella of it all. Getting swept up into his life like that would be so romantic.

Tag along |

Part one

Strayed a little but it’s still very much fluff filled, maybe not what you’d first expect? Idk, that sounds strange but I hope you enjoy it anyway! Thank you for the prompt!<3

Part Two

--

It was official. 

After days of relentless pleading and having been so blatantly coerced into it by my mum and younger sister, I’d finally relented and given in to attending the concert. And I sort of hated myself for it. Strange, I know, but now I had no choice but to see some fuck-off band- I’d never even heard of- with my teenage sister and her best mate, who were practically mad about them. 

I mean, I love the girls, I truly do. With all my heart. But having to spend an entire evening with them, surrounded by a thousand other screaming fans, just wasn’t something I was looking too forward to.

And who could honestly blame me? 

You see, it had all begun earlier that same week. I’d been on my lunch break, grateful to have just a minute to myself, when my mum had called. We’d gone through the motions, happy to catch up; she told me the gossip whirling round back home (next door were back to rowing again and Tracey in the post office had fallen pregnant for the seventh time); she’d asked after me, like she always did, questioned if I was eating enough, sleeping alright, if I’d met anyone new…

My mum and I had always been pretty close. She’d had me young, I was her first baby- something she never failed to remind me of- and we’d sort of grown up together. Seeing as how my father (nickname: The Sperm-Doner- yes, the caps were necessary) had gone and fallen into all kinds of shit and ultimately decided to fuck off when things had gotten too real. She was my rock, the one person I could count on to defend my corner, and always believed in everything I ever set my mind to.

It had been hard on the both of us when I’d left home, especially seeing as I was now a couple dozen cities away. But life continued on and we adapted, I went back to visit as much as I possibly could, and called whenever I had the time. Even though in moments when all I really needed was a good hug from her, it was easy to remember what I was doing this all for, and that my family was only a train journey away. They were a constant, even if they lived a couple hundred miles from me.

So she had phoned, I’d immediately noticed the stress which underlined her tone and I’d asked what was up. She’d danced around the topic as much as she could- she hated asking for things, ‘that’s my job,’ she liked to reiterate whenever something occurred and I tried to help out. But I’d dragged it out of her in the end. And oh how I now wished that I’d just left it.

Because here I was, stood in the freezing cold, outside of the O2 arena, in a line full of a couple hundred other excited fans who were all waiting eagerly for the gates to open. 

The two girls were squirming beside me, so ecstatic you’d have thought that I’d gone and laced their drinks with something other than sugar, jumping all about the place whilst they squealed to one another in such a high pitched tone that anyone else would’ve believed that they were conversing in another language all together. 

It was amusing to a point, because I could honestly recall the same euphoric high I’d felt when I’d finally gotten tickets to an Arctic Monkeys gig almost a decade ago now. 

Internally I winced as the memory drifted to the forefront of my mind, feeling far too old for my twenty-three years.

But I could also admit that I was honestly in a tad bit of a mood, had been for the last half hour or so, because I truly fucking hated the cold. And right now? It was baltic and I was freezing my tits off. 

I’d already buried my face into the opening of the leather jacket I’d thrown on that morning and wrapped my arms around my torso to enclose some of my remaining heat, but it was of little use. I was still shivering away with a frown.

I’d gotten a couple of lingering looks whilst here, something I’d noticed but could’ve cared less about. It was far too cold to be stood about waiting in any sort of line, so they could all excuse me for not being overly delighted with the whole ordeal.

I sighed and peered down at my phone screen, glancing at the time, then double checked my pockets for the tickets I’d been handed on arrival and told to guard with my life. 

It was probably the twentieth time I’d done so, because who in their right mind would give me, of all people, something important to look after? I was the least irresponsible person I knew when it came to being organised. 

Because listen, I could get anywhere on time, I was insanely good at that- a job interview, an airport, a school play… But nine times out of ten, I’d almost always forget the one thing I’d needed most. My resume, everybody’s passports, the wig I’d worn one halloween and promised to my younger brother so that he could complete his costume in time for his class assembly…

Yeah, so I was a bit of a mess. But who wasn’t?

Albeit saying that, I had ultimately been the one to score these tickets. My mum and step-dad had gifted them to my younger sister as an early Christmas present after she’d literally begged for months on end during the lead up to the drop of the presale.

It had just been the three of us, all sat down in the family living room, back home up north, earlier this year. We’d counted down the minutes, a dozen devices in hand and at the ready, and it had been something short of a miracle, in all truth. 

The website had crashed a couple times, my step-dad’s phone had died, and then my laptop had quickly followed. The dog had knocked over a freshly made brew and almost pissed itself. And then the postman had scared the absolute life out of us when he’d knocked on the front door. 

So to say that we had all breathed in sudden relief when I’d loudly announced that I’d managed it, was a MASSIVE understatement.

Note. The worst part to seeing your favourite band live; Ticketmaster.

Even the thought of doing it again had me riddled with anxiety. I shivered involuntary, whether it was from the mere idea of it, or the cold, I’d never know.

But being stood here now, I was cursing myself for having been the one to officially bag the stupid things. I sighed inwardly, if only I wasn’t such a brilliant, caring and amazing older sister. But it was a hard life, I supposed. 

“I’m so excited!” My sister, Rosie, squealed, drawing me from my thoughts. She’d gripped onto Tea’s arm in her sudden bout of elation, and the two shared a maddening grin. The other girl didn’t seem to mind the tight grip her best friend held, and so I figured it was probably down to the anticipation of it all- or the fact that it was still so bloody cold.

The thing about Rosie and Tea was, they had been as thick as thieves for as long as I could remember. There’d never been one without the other, and so it was sweet to see the pair looking so forward to something like this, something which they both shared such an obvious love for. 

“I know!” Tea breathed dramatically, looking a little flushed, “I want to meet them so bad, it actually hurts.”

I fought the urge to roll my eyes at the pair, in good fun of course, because they were both so adorably obsessed. 

Oh, to be a teen again. 

“You two are really looking forward to this,” I commented with a light chuckle, watching on as the two girls danced around happily in the small section we’d claimed. “I just don’t get it.”

Once those words had left my lips, I instantly regretted it. Having been met with the deathly glare of two teenage girls was not something I’d offer up to just anyone. 

“Are you serious?” My sister outrightly demanded, staring up at me with a face of utter bewilderment. Scarily, she looked a lot like our mum in that moment. “They’re The 1975, Y/n. They’re- incredible! You must have heard at least one of their songs!”

Tea nodded her head alongside Rosie, bobbing up and down in agreement.

I simply shrugged at the pair of them, finding amusement in their infatuation. “Can’t say that I have, Ro.”

“But, Y/n/n, you love bands! Music in general- I’d bet my whole vinyl collection that you’ll love them too!” Rosie stressed, she then smiled brightly up at me when I merely quirked a brow in retort. I dug my hands deeper into my pockets.

“I like bands, yeah. Band’s like The Stone Roses, The Kooks, Joy Division… The type that make music for music’s sake, you know? Not the kind that strive to get on the top ten, babe.”

I shook my head fondly at the two. 

This band they were so enamoured by were probably just as decent as they claimed, and I could admit that simply because, well, they’d have to be to have all these crazy fans gathered in one place. But they just weren’t my cup of tea.

Ooh, talking of tea, I was proper gagging for one. I’d yet to have my daily fix, and after having been rudely rushed out of my flat early this morning, I’d been unable to stop off at any sort of coffee shop on the way over in fear of losing a spot in line.

The two teens rolled their eyes at me, and my forehead pinched when my sister pulled out a pair of headphones and all but shoved them into my ears. “Look, just listen, okay?”

I reeled back in alarm, having not expected the sudden ambush. “Christ, Ro!” I exclaimed, but the girl only huffed at me before turning to press play on her phone. She gave me a stern look. I relented.

At first, I couldn’t hear anything but the slow intro to an unfamiliar song- even with the swarm of fans gathered around me. But I continued to listen, honing in on the tempo and its melody. And as the song went on, I begun to understand why so many people enjoyed it. The lyrics, although a bit out there and entertainingly vulgar at parts, were smart and witty, they fell with the instrumental perfectly and the singer’s voice was pretty different to what I’d first expected. It made me want to really listen, to follow along, to understand the backstory.

Honestly, they weren’t half as terrible as I’d first believed. And once the outro had faded out, I actually felt a little conflicted. The song obviously had a much deeper meaning to it, but its instrumental made it so lively and energetic that I’d found myself bobbing along almost subconsciously. It was something I could see myself getting lost in, and I wondered whether or not they’d made anything more raw, or emotional.

The songwriter was definitely talented, I couldn’t deny that, they’d had gone through some shit, and I found myself longing to read deeper into their words.

“They’re sick, right?” 

The headphones being ripped out of my ears brought me back to the present and I blinked slowly at my sister’s question.

“Yeah.” I shrugged a shoulder, handing over the wire. “Yeah, they’re alright. Can sort of see why you two like them so much.”

I laughed to myself when the girls faces lit up. 

“They’re amazing! And you’ll so enjoy this show- as well as the boys! They’re proper nice deep down, like really care about us as fans and all that.” Tea encouraged, seemingly quite happy that I hadn’t just gone and shit all over her favourite band. 

“Yeah, they’re so lovely, Y/n!” Rosie added, eyes alive as she barrelled on to explain further, “There’s four of them, right? First, we have Adam, he plays the guitar mainly- blonde, tall, only one who’s started his own little family. And then there’s Ross and George-”

“Ross is on bass, long haired with a beard, whilst George plays the drums.” Tea weighed in, before Rosie was back to chattering away again.

I was honestly beginning to feel as though I was watching an extreme game of tennis with the way my attention kept batting back and forth between them.

“Tea’s obsessed with him.” Rosie felt the need to inform me, before her face immediately brightened, “Oh, and then there’s Matty of course!”

My sister was wearing one of the biggest grins I’d ever witnessed on any singular person and I snorted when Tea rolled her eyes and made a slight dig, “You can see who Ro’s claimed.”

“Hardy har.” Rosie deadpanned, jutting a light elbow into her friend’s side before she gave me a serious look, “I haven’t ‘claimed’ him. I just…”

“You just want to have his children. Yeah, I know, Rose. You never fail to not mention it.”

Rosie stuck her tongue out in retort whilst I tried to bite back my rising amusement when they continued to bicker. The two made a right pair.

“So, what’s this Matty like then?” I questioned, wanting to know a little bit more about the guy who’d caught my sister’s eye, but mainly just eager to poke a bit more fun at her. “Come on, what’s so great about him that you’ve gone and dubbed yourself a tribute to birth his prodigy spawn?”

The girls wrinkled their noses at me, Rosie’s upper lip curled in faint disgust. “Why’ve you gotta word it like that?” She scoffed, shaking her head at me.

I chuckled, shrugging a singular shoulder. “Because I live to annoy you. So, are you gonna tell me or do I have to ask about?”

I made the effort then to pretend as though I was about to disrupt the group behind us’s conversation, but the girls were quick to waylay me, jumping hastily to grab at my outstretched hand. I smirked.

“Stop it!” Rosie all but hissed, her worried eyes flicking back over towards the people beside us before falling on me again, this time they were slitted. “God, you’re so embarrassing.”

Me, embarrassing? Hah. She should be thankful that I knew when to stop. I could still vividly recall the days when my mum had attempted the same shit with me, except she’s the type to actually follow through, leaving her daughter to stand sheepishly behind her, internally cursing the day her mother had decided to forgo an abortion. Dark, yes, but I’d also been a hormonal fifteen year old girl, so sue me.

I rolled my eyes instead of voicing this though, knowing it would only go in one ear and out the other. And ultimately, my sister sighed allowing me to prompt her on further with the rise of my brows.

“Matty, he’s the frontman basically.” She said, back to talking with her hands, forgetting about the whole ordeal.

That made sense, I thought to myself, although I’d always been a drummer sort of girl. Helders, Taylor, Fleetwood, Bonham, Moretti… I could go on.

No honestly, I could, so I was just glad that Rosie chose that moment to stop me.

“He’s a proper performer, you know? Like he just belongs up there, on stage.” My sister breathed, and she wore the sweetest look of admiration on her face. “He’s got this mop of messy black curls and he’s covered in tattoos. Wears all this cool shit and he’s-”

“-also a bit of an arsehole.” Tea summarised for her, before Rosie could get too carried away. 

I blinked at my sister’s best friend in surprise, before a loud laugh bubbled out of me. 

In all the years I’d known this girl, this deceivingly sweet girl, not once- once, I stress!- had I ever heard something so shameless spill from out her mouth, and with the exasperated look she had paired with it, I couldn’t hold in my delight.

“Tea!” I exclaimed, and was so tickled to see the younger girl’s cheeks redden when she turned to give me a sheepish sort of smile. “How crass! I always thought it was Rosie who’d been the bad influence between the pair of you, but now I see quite a few secrets are coming to light tonight.”

Rosie snorted in reply, “She’s done worse. Trust me.”

Tea swatted at my sister’s arm upon hearing that, widening her eyes in a silent warning.

“Oh, come off it.” Rosie waved away with a roll of her eyes. “It’s just Y/n.”

I decided to leave off of the teasing, feeling a bit bad for embarrassing the younger girl. “Yeah, I’m just messing, lovie.” I told Tea with a soft smile as I draped an arm over her shoulders to draw her in for a hug. “You can relax, nothing that happens tonight will be getting back to your mum, alright?”

“Yeah, ‘cause we all know what she’s like.” Rosie tittered under her breath and I slapped lightly at her bicep to scold her. “What?” The girl exaggerated with a high-pitched drawl, rubbing at her arm with a narrowed eyed glare that was directed towards both Tea and I. “I was just saying! And what’s with you two and smacking me about today?”

Tea giggled and I squeezed her lightly before letting go.

“Don’t talk about things that have nothing to do with you.” I told my sister simply, “Freya’s a perfectly lovely woman, just a tad…”

“Insane?” Rosie offered, at the same time Tea said, “Extreme.”

“Eccentric- was what I was going to say.” I shook my head at the duo. “Honestly, the two of you.”

The girls only laughed. 

The line started to move a little while later, slowly mind, but it was a progress I was grateful to see. 

Anything to get out of this chilly wind in truth. 

And as we waddled along, the two teens I was with continued to speak of the band, trying to catch me up on anything and everything I’d missed before the show officially started.

Not that it helped at all. I was beyond crap when it came to things like that- recalling anything trivial- I could hardly even remember the band’s actual name and it was plastered practically everywhere around me. As well as this big box thing. 

I breathed out a loud sigh of relief when I realised that we were up next, and when we were signalled over towards the gates by one of the arenas guards I could see just how nervous Rosie and Tea had grown, giddy but mostly eager to just get inside. I couldn’t help the fond smile which limned my lips then, happy to see them so excited.

“You three.” A large man, branded in a security uniform, called, jerking his head over at us. I heard the girls take a deep breath as we approached and I quietly chuckled at them. “Tickets?” He stated. 

Oh shit, yeah. The tickets.

“Tickets…” I murmured quietly to myself, patting down my pockets to find them, “Tickets, tickets, tickets…”

I could feel the apprehension radiating off of my younger sister as I continued to riffle around for the poxy things, and so I flashed the bloke a wry smile before I started to unload the contents of my jacket pockets into both Rosie and Tea’s hands...

Gum, house keys, a stray tampon. Pack of haribo (because you never knew when you’d need those), ID, bank card, phone, charger. A few spare pound coins-

Oh God, that was where my Argos receipt had got to! I could finally return that shitty Nespresso machine my cousin and her fiancé had talked me into buying now.

I grinned in quiet victory whilst tucking the slip into the back pocket of my trousers.

“Y/n.” My sister stressed out in a hushed whisper, I just simply waved her off.

“They’re here somewhere. I felt them like, twenty minutes ago.” I assured her and- “Aha, told you! Three tickets, all here!”

I wore a triumphant grin when I held out the wrinkled papers towards the guard, who appeared to have been throughly amused by my prolonged charade. He took them from me to scan with a toothy smile.

“Oh cheer up, we’ll be in there in a sec.” I huffed at the girls, tucking all of my belongings back into their rightful place. Rosie didn’t look too cheerful though, but I could see that Tea’s lips had started to twitch, so I have her a conspiratorial wink in turn. Then glanced back towards the bloke, “We all good here?”

“Yeah, all good, love.” He exhaled on a faint chuckle, waving us in through the barrier without further issue. “You girls enjoy your night.”

“We will!” I promised, gifting him a gleeful smile, “You too- hope you don’t have to spend too much longer out in that cold!”

He just nodded at me, still looking rather entertained by all our antics.

“So embarrassing.” My sister felt the need to reiterate as we wondered further into the arena, practically growling.

“Oh, loosen up, would you? He was proper nice about it all. Fit too, don’t you think?” I said, glancing back over my shoulder.

But Rosie just rolled her eyes at me. Fed up, I was about to bite back at her when Tea’s unexpected gasp broke us from our little quarrel.

“Oh my god. They have the limited edition LP!”

Rosie’s eyes widened dramatically and before I knew it the two were scurrying away from me and over towards the merch stand. I sighed to myself and glanced about, hoping to see a sign that would lead me to where the bar might be.

—

We were here. In the middle of a fucking mass of people, but we’d actually done it. We’d finally managed to swindle our way near the front of standing, practically touching the barriers, even after having loaded up on snacks and drinks- mine mostly alcoholic.

The girls were buzzing. Looking all cute and excited in the outfits they’d planned months in advance, singing along to the set that was playing through the speakers to keep the crowd entertained before things begun.

And me? I was getting swept up in the atmosphere. Unable to believe that I’d almost forgotten how good it all felt. Because live music was truly unmatched.

There was just something about the heavy thud you felt in your veins, how being this close to the amps could make your chest ache in the very best way, and how’d you’d have to scream just to be heard over all the noise whilst you got lost in an avalanche of happy people. 

It really had been too long.

I was already a fair few drinks in by the time the opening act came out, and was chatting away to the couple crowded beside us. They were both a year older than me and studying down in Bournemouth. They’d bought their tickets off of a mate, who hadn’t been able to make it, on a whim when they’d had the cash to spare, and had decided to make a weekend out of it. 

We’d actually only gotten to talking when they’d almost sloshed a canned cocktail all down my back. 

I’d been startled at first, rightfully so, as this giant of a man had all but stumbled right into me, eyes as wide as saucers. His boyfriend had come to his rescue though, offered me up one in apology, and who would I have been to deny? 

So I’d cracked it open, found myself pleasantly surprised by the taste, and one thing had quickly led to another and they’d ended up letting me share the bagged vodka they’d also managed to smuggle into the stadium in the bands of their socks.

To say that I’d been impressed wouldn’t have been a lie, I sort of felt like I’d found my people in truth. Because the price of alcohol at these kind of events was always extortionate. Practically daylight robbery, there was no other way about it.

And my bank account had taken quite the hit from the first trip to the stands alone. And with two teenage girls, who could care less about money unless it was their own, I’d almost wanted to shed a tear when I’d handed over my card to the boy behind the till- he’d sympathised with me, I’d seen it in his eyes as he wished us a good time.

So here I now was, pissing it up in the pit with a bunch of strangers, a medical bag full of spirits clutched tightly in one hand. 

“Oh, God! Y/n, Y/n! It’s starting!”

I turned away from one of the boys to glance back towards my sister, who was staring up at the stage with this starry eyed expression, Tea was right beside her wearing the exact same face. I chuckled beneath my breath.

“You girls ever been to a show before?” Lewis, one half of the couple I’d met earlier, asked Rosie.

My sister shook her head at his question whilst the screens above us begun to distort and screams overwhelmed the arena. Lewis merely chuckled at Rosie's nonverbal reply, she only had eyes for the stage it seemed. 

“It’s her first gig ever. She’s been dying to see these lot for years.” I answered for her, leaning in close so that he could hear.

I saw his eyebrows lift at the information before he was grinning against my ear. “She’ll never want to see anyone else after this!”

My forehead pinched, silently questioning his statement, but just laughed it off when a row of boxes flashed brightly above us.

Lewis and I separated on cue, just as the world around us hushed for a split second and the sudden intro of a loud guitar pierced the veil.

“Please welcome, my favourite band, The 1975!” A voice then announced and I looked up, right into the eyes of a man who’d seemingly taken claim of the stage.

His smile was wide, unmatched, as he pranced up and down the front, his hair a mess of curls as a set of drums picked up the pace of the opening beat. I had to be reminded to close my gawping mouth.

Who the fuck’s that?

And I must’ve said it out loud, because I heard Lewis snort obnoxiously from right beside me, continuing to sing away whilst the girls immediately turned towards me to shout, “Matty!”

Shockingly, their loud exclamation also managed to garner the attention of the man himself when he danced by, and I watched on as the dark-haired frontman smiled down at Rosie and Tea. Waving hello. 

I was caught by utter surprise when I then found myself trapped in his heady gaze, still giggling away at the girls' hysterical reactions. 

Okay. Before I continue on, I truly am putting this all down to the alcohol that was streaming through my system, because it was then that Matty appeared to pause before me for the briefest of moments. 

And I didn’t dare look away. I couldn’t. 

He smirked down at me, eyes so observant, and I found myself shaking my head at him with a smile of my own. But sadly he only left me with a sly wink as he traipsed away to sing out into the rest of the audience.

Rosie and Tea had squealed beside me, excited to have captured the singer's focus, whilst I tried to catch my breath.

The show continued on after that and I allowed myself to relax and get lost in the people, their heat, the music. I danced, the girls and I swayed, twirling about, Lewis and I laughed, and I even managed to sing along to a couple of songs I sort of recognised. 

The current one came to an end though soon enough, and Rosie informed me with a glossy eyed smile and smudged liner that the last song was fast approaching, whilst Tea just pulled out her phone to record again. 

I nodded at my sister, squeezing her close before she pivoted away back towards her best mate, leaving me to sip at the drink I’d been trying not to spill all down myself due to the constant shoving and pushing.

Minutes went by and Matty engaged with the burly bloke on bass- whose hair I found I’d rather like to touch (because honestly, how did he get it so glossy?). Before he continued on, pointing out signs here and there, and sparking up another massive round of cheers by vocalising the inner workings of his mind, which was something he supposedly did quite often. Enough for the rest of the band to begin playing again only to shut him up. That had made me giggle. 

Dozens of faces passed over the main screen, most of them beaming, or crying, there wasn’t much of an inbetween. And Matty interacted with them all, grinning and joking in such a way that only screamed sincerity.

The shouts around us only started to double then when he made his way over to our section, and even my own heartbeat sped up as I watched his eyes drag over the absurdly large crowd. He was unfairly attractive, okay? I could easily see why my sister had taken such a shine to him.

He was smiling and my pulse stuttered then stopped altogether when Matty paused right by us, to look me directly in the eye, his eyebrows drawn tightly together.

“Alright, darling? Having a good night?” He quizzed me, the sudden weight of his attention making me jump even though the surrounding screams had yet to cease. “What’s in the bag?”

I glanced down at the liquid filled bag I was still holding, gaze drifting to Lewis for a split second before it darted back up towards the singer. “Vodka.” I told him before I could think better of it.

The sound Matty produced then was almost inhuman and I was actually quite proud of myself for having been the cause of it.

“Definitely snuck that in.” He accused, quieter this time around and with a growing smile. The audience laughed.

Rosie and Tea spun around to face me, huge smiles threatening to split their faces in half, as my brows pinched.

“Way to out me to an entire arena!” I instantly called back, ducking slightly to avoid the eyes of the hefty security man stood on the other side of the barricade. Matty’s cackle echoed out around me, coming from all directions.

“Oi, mate! Escort her out, will you?” Matty ordered, nodding down at the same man I’d previously noticed. “Ruining it for everyone.”

I gaped, eyes widening in sudden alarm whilst he just shook his head at me, feigning disappointment.

Thankfully though the singer was quick to go back on his word, waving the guard (who had actually begun to MOVE) off with a sway of his hand and a thoroughly amused grin.

Fuck, this man was really going to be the death of me, I thought. 

I willed my racing heart to slow.

“I’m just joking, love.” Matty reassured me, eyes twinkling under the array of lights. “Spotted you a couple times tonight, actually. Like to stand out, don’t you?”

It didn’t sound like much of a question.

“Might do.”

I could physically feel my brain struggling to make my mouth cooperate, and I figured I might’ve drunk a tad too much, because I usually wasn’t this tactless. Which was how I managed to surprise even myself with the next sentence I fired back.

“Or maybe it’s just you.”

“Just me?” Matty queried with a tilt of his head, and he squatted down then, bouncing on the balls of his feet for a moment before he took perch on the side of the stage. “What do you mean?”

“You’re the one who spotted me.” I retorted with a smug smile, raising my voice to be heard. “I’m just one face in a thousand. Nothing I did.”

He hummed, mouth quirked to one side. “So this is all on me then?”

I shrugged casually, but my mind was reeling.

Matty laughed before he motioned me closer. “Here’re.” He prompted, jutting his chin out and willing the crowd to woefully part. “Come on, let her through. Let her through.”

I frowned but did as I was told, slipping my way past the few who had actually managed to claim the metal fence before us, quirking a confused brow up at him.

He towered above me, even from where he was seated on the stage, and I willed back my shock when he proceeded to jump down from off his perch and approach me. My heart hammered and a lump formed in my throat.

“Have you got a favourite song of ours?” He asked and I actually felt how embarrassed I must have looked in that moment, gifting the singer a sheepish smile before I quietly informed him that I didn't have one.

His head jerked back, “What do you mean, you don’t have one?”

The sudden crow of Rosie's voice sounded above the rest of the buzzing noise then and I was unsure on whether or not to be grateful for it.

“She’d never heard any of them before tonight!”

I grimaced slightly from behind the hand that had come up to hide my face, silently hoping for the ground to just open up and swallow me whole. I could feel the heat radiating in my cheeks and the tips of my ears, knowing full well that Tea was definitely recording every inch of this mortifying moment.

“Oh, so we have a fake fan within our midsts?” Matty voiced and it was full of mirth, he found pleasure in his teasing. 

A soft brush touched my skin and before I even knew what was occurring my hand was being pried away from my flushed cheeks by the singer himself, who looked me dead in the eye and had the utter nerve to wear the most devastating grin.

“Is this all part of your plan? Lure me in and then break my heart. How’re you at my gig, after never having heard a single one of our songs?”

“I’ve heard a few!”

But my attempt to defend myself was waylaid, it seemed Matty had other ideas.

The frontman nodded over towards Rosie, who blanched under his gaze. “Go on. Tell me more. What’s her motive here?”

I watched on as Tea nudged my younger sister into talking, Rosie too shellshocked to remember that she had the biggest gob I’d known to man.

“Um,” My sister startled, blinking away before she took a deep breath, “I dragged her along tonight. Me and my friend, we’re huge fans!”

“Lovely to meet you. Glad you could make it- only wish you’d made a listener out of this one beforehand!”

“We’ve tried!” Rosie exclaimed with an exasperated sigh that had me rolling my eyes. It appeared as though she'd reverted back to her usual self, despite being under the gaze of her favourite person in the entire world. Yes, you could be assured that that was an actual quote.

“Oh it’s like that is it?” Matty asked, peering down at me. I couldn’t tear my gaze away, his brown eyes smudged with kohl making them that much more enticing.

His attention differed then, flitting back towards my sister.

“She seemed to be enjoying the set whenever I looked over though, so what happened?”

“She’s stubborn!” Rosie shouted back, and I could hear her muffled laughter through the crowd, probably upon seeing me so put out.

“Stubborn, are we?” Matty smirked, and his lips were by my ear before I knew any better, his mic long forgotten. “I like a challenge.”

And then he was gone, back to wooing the crowd and making the most of having all this attention.

I let myself slip back into the seams, breathing heavily as my sister and Tea joggled me about, Lewis and his boyfriend beaming madly from ear to ear. I tried to focus.

What had just happened?

Part Two>

[asirensrage]

Saudade - Chapter 8

Rating: Explicit Pairing: Mikey x OC, Hanma x OC, Ran x OC, Mikey x OC x Draken Fandom: Tokyo Revengers Warnings: swearing, violence, threats of violence, murder, smoking, sex, consensual sex between teenagers, alcohol, recreational drug use, mention of trafficking, torture, family neglect, mentions of sexual violence. isekai OC. memory loss. unbeta’d **warnings are not exhaustive** Summary: No one seems to realize she doesn’t belong until she finally runs into her “new” brother, Hanagaki Takemichi. Now, hearing his story, Takara makes the choice to help him and hopefully find her way home, but faking it til you make it only lasts so long when you start losing the memories of the life you had before. As Takemichi becomes the only family she’s ever known, how far will she go to protect him?

notes: I love this chapter so much. I hope you do too. It's the beginning of one of my favourite pairings in this fic… and when things start really diverging from canon. Please let me know what you think!

also on ao3

fic masterlist - prev chapter

THE PAST

There was no place better than her bed. Except the rink. 

While Takemichi went off to take Hinata on some bowling date, Takara took the chance to go to a skating rink. 

It was a bit busy, but Takara rented skates and for the first time felt like she could breathe again. She hates the decision she’s come to. She hates the fact that every strategy she can think of involves stringing Hanma along so she can have access to Kisaki. 

“Ugh.” 

She tries to shut her mind off and it works as she focuses on her turns, speeding along as she glides against the ice. She’s mildly aware of how people are starting to move out of the way as she does a simple axel jump. When she twists into a spin, all she can focus on are her movements and the way things feel. 

She eventually skids to a stop, feeling more like herself. Her mother had forced her into ice skating in return for playing hockey. She never thought it would work like this. The repeated motions work better than any therapy. 

“You’re incredible.” 

 She looks up. Leaning against the rail was the guy with the braids from the junkyard. Resting on the wall behind him was the other one. 

“Thanks,” she says. “I know.”

He grins at that. “How long you been skating?”

“Forever.” She says it because it’s the truth…and not just because she can’t actually recall when she started. She forces that thought of her head. “What are you doing here?”

“Should be asking you that question,” the blond in the back says. He’s not glaring at her but he’s watching her carefully. 

She frowns, confused at what he means.

The one with the braids explains. “You’re in our territory, Toman.”

“Ah. I’m not part of Toman,” she says quickly. “I was just looking for a good rink.”

“No? You tried to save one of them.” He leans a little closer as his gaze wanders down. It doesn’t feel creepy, not like the last time she had been corned by a bunch of unnamed wannabe gangsters. She thinks of her aunt and the points of a body that were softest and would hurt the most.

“Yeah. I’m not a fan of stupid choices and you boys tend to make a lot of them,” she nods towards them. The one with the braids laughs. “I’m Hanagaki Takara,” she introduces herself. 

“Haitani Ran,” the braids says back. “That’s my brother, Rindou. We run Roppongi.” 

“Impressive.” Or it would be if she had any real clue what that meant. She knows that it’s the kind of reaction they’re looking for. “You here to skate?”

“Just to see you, beautiful,” Ran says. He’s older than her. They both are. But she remembers the warning Draken gave about the bet about her. 

“If you’re here to win a bet by sleeping with me, I’m not interested.” 

The blond in the back, Rindou, laughs at that. He looks at her with a little more interest, not sexually, just in the sense that she’s more than a pretty face with a stupid brother. 

Ran grins at her. “Heard about that already?”

“I’m a girl. We like gossip.” She shrugs, playing into the common misconception. 

“That all you like?” He asks, eyeing her carefully. 

“Who knows? I’m full of surprises.” 

“I bet. Let us take you out. Show you Roppongi. Properly.” 

“I’m busy,” she says, skating back slightly. She doesn’t go far, keeping her eyes on them. Ran leans forward and rests his arms on the sideboards, watching her. “Besides, I already told you, I’m not interested.”

“We’re not here for the bet,” Ran calls out to her. “Heard you were in our area and wanted to meet you. Actually get your name, darling.” 

She rolls her eyes. “Well, you got that.”

“We did, didn’t we?” He looks back at his brother and grins. “Maybe we just wanted to know what kinda girl shows up at a gang fight for her brother.” 

“The kind who knows her brother is an idiot,” she retorts back. “Besides, you left before the cops showed up.”

“You warned us,” Rindou says. 

“Sure,” she shrugs. “You let me sit with you. Least I could do since I was breaking things up.” She skids to a stop and looks at them. “Did you tell anyone I was the one who called the cops?”

“Now why would we do that?” Ran asks. He looks unbothered by it, eyes half-lidded as he watches her. “No one on our end said shit. Not if they want to keep using their limbs.” 

That seems like an extreme reaction. “Alright,” she nods. “Good.” The last thing she needs is someone being pissed she ended that fight. Especially Kisaki. 

“Come on,” Ran says. “Get changed and let us take care of you.”

Takara hesitates. She doesn’t know these boys and the fact they’re in a gang that isn’t the same one her brother runs with is a slight against them. 

“Just let us show our appreciation…for the warning.”

“You’re persistent, I’ll give you that.”

“Ran gets what he wants,” Rindou adds. “Just say yes so he stops pestering.”

Ran looks back. “I’m not pestering, I’m flirting.”

“Ugh,” Rindou gives a disgusted look at that and Takara can’t help but laugh. The interaction feels so familiar, like she’s used to seeing brothers interact and tease like this. She can’t remember when though. Or why it’s so comforting. 

“Give me ten minutes.”

⛸️

Walking with the two brothers was strange. 

She wasn’t used to people actively moving out of her way unless she looked like she was going to run them down in her skates, but they did for the Haitanis. Her skates are tucked away in their bag, slung over her shoulder and she’s been shoved in the middle between them. Ran talks, pointing out the best parts of the area that they pass while Rindou walks in silence. 

“Why aren’t you asking me about Toman?” she asks once they’re sitting down in a cafe. She’s ordered a sandwich and tea while Rindou complained about being the third wheel. Ran ignores him so she does too. 

“Don’t care about Toman,” Ran says with a shrug. He leans forward, resting his elbow on the table and putting his chin in his hand as he stares at her. “Just you.”

She snorts at that. “I doubt that.” 

“I’m not interested in their territory. If we wanted it, we’d already have it.”

“That’s awfully confident of you,” Takara points out. She pauses to thank the waitress who drops off the food. “How’d you manage to control this area? You said it’s just the two of you?”

“That’s right,” Ran says. “We have men under us, but we control it all.” 

“And is that the long-term goal?” she asks, taking a bite of the sandwich. She’s starving after the time she spent skating. “Like, is being a gang leader what you want to do?” Takara is honestly curious and it’s not like she has anything better to do right now. 

They look at her in surprise. 

“I…wanna do music,” Rindou admits first. 

“Really? That’s cool. What type of music?”

He looks surprised that she turns her attention to him and is waiting as she takes another bite. He glances at his brother before he answers. It almost seems as if he’s not used to the attention. “Uh…dance. Like electronic. What you hear in the clubs.”

“I’ll take your word for it. I’ve never been to a club. Parties? Yes but actual clubs, no. Do you have your own equipment? Are you looking into getting some?”

“You see awfully interested in Rindou’s hobbies,” Ran cuts in. 

Takara shrugs. “Everyone should have a hobby. Something they like to do that actually brings them joy, whether or not others see value in it. For me, it’s hockey and skating. For your brother it’s music. And you?”

“I prefer to spend my free time in my bed.”

“That’s fair. Bed is the best,” Takara agrees. She sighs, thinking of her own bed. When she’s not running around and filling her time with sports, she too prefers to be sleeping. 

“Yeah? I’d love to introduce you to mine.” 

Takara feels herself flush which is a surprise in itself. She’s not usually flustered by boys, too used to dealing with them. Ran’s grin sharpens as he watches her hand raise to cover her face, wishing she could stop herself from reacting. 

“No thanks, I’ll stick to my own.”

“Then can I come try it myself? See what all the fuss is about,” Ran teases.

“Sure, you can meet my parents too. I’m sure they’d love you,” Takara says dryly. She watches as Ran nearly recoils at the thought and it’s enough to make both her and Rindou laugh. 

He recovers quickly, playing it up as if it was intended to be a joke. The atmosphere eases, turning into something more playful and Takara watches as the brothers tease each other and her. She gives as good as she gets and she thinks it helps keep them on even footing. It’s no longer completely an interrogation over her and her motives or an attempt for Ran to get into her pants. They feel like old friends and for once it’s soothing to have this feeling without the overwhelming reminder that people only interact with her because of who her brother is. This is only just because of her and who she is. 

⛸️

When they leave, Takara is back stuck between them and finds herself comfortable with the way Rindou repeatedly nudges into her and Ran takes her skates to carry for her. He tries once to weave their fingers together and hold her hand and when she pulls away, he doesn’t try again. She likes that. 

They lead her to a train station, slowing before they get close as if they can delay the inevitable. She’s already been gone longer than she planned, but no one’s looking for her. Her phone is silent so she knows the future is still secure. 

“Give me your phone,” Ran demands. She pulls it out and hands it over without a second thought. It’s not like he can do much more than break it and even if that happens, she’s confident enough that she could slip away if she felt like she was in danger. She doesn’t though. He calls not only his phone but Rindou’s as well to ensure they have her number. He grins at her. “Now we can set up that date.”

“What date?” she asks, looking at him amused. 

“The one we’ll have when you decide it’s what you want.” He says it with all confidence, as if it’s set in stone and he hasn’t placed the choice in her hands again. 

“We’ll see,” Takara says, trying not to smile. She’s not actually used to interest like this. Rindou rolls his eyes, but before either of them can continue, the moment is broken by the sound of a motorcycle racing towards them. It stops on the street next to them and Takara’s mood drops instantly the moment she sees who’s driving. Both the Haitanis have stepped forward, blocking her from their view. 

“What the fuck is Toman doing here?” Ran asks, tone far more polite than his words. She can practically feel the tension under their skin. 

“Just picking up something that belongs to me,” Hanma replies. He sounds too cheery and she bristles at the presumed ownership. 

“Fuck off,” she snaps. Regardless of whether or not she’ll give him what he wants in order to take care of her brother, she’s not allowing anyone to treat her like property. 

“You heard her,” Ran says, drawing a baton and expanding it. “Fuck off.” 

“Just tryin’ to take care of you, princess,” Hanma says, ignoring Ran. “Let me give you a lift home.”

“How’d you even know I was here?” she asks, stepping out behind the brothers. “I didn’t tell anyone where I was going.” 

He grins at her. “You think I wouldn’t keep an eye on my girl?”

“Not yours,” she says. His eyes darken, unimpressed, but before he can respond, she turns to the brothers and continues. “Thank you. I had a good time. Text me.” She looks back at Hanma who’s still seated on the ugliest design of a motorcycle she’s seen yet. She gives him the finger and walks into the station, ignoring the boys and their standoff. 

⛸️

When she gets home, she catches Takemichi cleaning the mark on his face in the mirror. 

“What happened now?”

He jolts in surprise as she leans against the doorframe. When he looks at her, she straightens, catching the look in his eyes. 

“Takara!” He drops the cloth, moving forward to hug her. “You’re okay!” 

She hugs back automatically, relaxing slightly in his hold. This is her brother. Hers. “You’re back?”

“Yeah. The future…you won’t believe what happened.”

“Tell me. And what happened to your face? I thought you went bowling. Are you that bad at it?”

“What? No!” 

“Then what?” Takara picks up the cloth and takes over cleaning the blood off of him before grabbing some ice. He follows her into the kitchen. 

“Just a fight coming back. Ran into a new gang.”

“A new one?”

“One I’ve never met before,” he admits. “But they were there in the future. Part of…Toman. Or whatever Toman it was. I…I nearly died.”

Takara sits across from him. “Again?” She inhales sharply, her mind drawing her back to Baji’s funeral. “What the fuck happened in the future, Take?”

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[bittersweetresilience]

server gift for @trishacollins <3

your gifter wasn't able to finish last minute, so @paracosmicat whipped up some delightful imagery and ideas and i stirred it into a soup. it's five in the morning so i hope this soup is comprehensible. thank you for being such a lovely writer and friend <3

-

The chill in the air bites at Félix’s skin as he walks along the river’s edge, his polished shoes crunching with every step. A flash of sensation, a fissure in his head—he stumbles and tips his head up, seeking solace in the warmth of the orange sun above. Everything around him is painted in shades of crimson and amber, haloed in the cloudless sky.

Leaves flurry around him, bursts of color cascading through the air before landing at his feet. His hands feel clammy, and he shuts his eyes against another splice of memory. He isn’t quite sure where he’s going, whether he’s walking away from something or toward something new. For a while, he isn’t sure of anything.

The pressure eases. His pace steadies, and he blinks his eyes open. There’s a weight in his pocket, one that reminds him where he’s meant to be going, why he’s out in the outskirts of London alone.

Duusu swims out from beneath his coat, and Félix remembers—no. Not alone.

“Where are you going, Félix?” the kwami chirps, as if this is their first time asking. Maybe it is. It’s difficult to discern what has happened and what has not. Félix breathes out. Placing one foot in front of the next is automatic.

“They need me,” Félix says.

Duusu spirals in a slow circle around his head. “Who?”

“My cousin. My—Kagami.”

“Oh,” Duusu says, thoughtful. “Are they in trouble?”

“Yes,” Félix says. “They’re—they’re being held somewhere. I need to find them. I need to—”

Hands claw around his sides, and he jerks away, breath quickening. It takes a moment to recall that it isn’t real. Even so, he is abruptly aware of his heart thudding against his ribs.

“I need to free them,” Félix grits out, and sets his feet back on the ground.

The wind that bleeds bitterly through his sleeves is something to focus on. He isn’t inside, isn’t trapped. Not the way Adrien and Kagami are. Not the way he had once been.

He’s been caged before. So has Adrien, face still plastered on billboards, fans who never knew him never noticing how his smile fails to reach his eyes. So has Kagami, even with the ring on her finger, her blade an extension of her mother’s words. All of them have known the vice of want, of need, of expectation. Félix had only ever wanted his choices to be his own.

For a moment, he’d thought he’d succeeded. The light of the red moon brimming in his breath, exhilaration close enough to taste—he had saved his cousin from the strings on which he danced, had seen the reflection of himself in Kagami’s eyes and set her free. And then he’d snapped his fingers and felt his body come out of place as horror turned to fury in both of their faces.

If his choices were his own, so too were his mistakes.

“You’re sad,” Duusu remarks, tail twirling by Félix’s head. “You should rest. We’ve been outside for a while.”

“No, Duusu,” Félix says. Another nightmare splits the air from his chest, and he catches himself against the nearest wall before his legs can give. Words ring in his ears, and he shouldn’t listen, but he finds his mouth shaping the familiar refrain. Monster. Monster.

He isn’t supposed to try to help Adrien anymore.

“I can’t do nothing.” Félix’s voice feels hoarse. The memory abates, and the tightness recedes from his chest. His thoughts go with it, perhaps.

“Maybe we can take a break?” Duusu suggests. They come to a rest on Félix’s shoulder, and Félix stumbles away from the wall, bits of stone coming away under his palms. Warehouses in the distance. He keeps moving, because that’s all he has been doing. It’s all he knows how to do.

Leaves dissolve beneath his feet. In the echo of his vision, the river dissolves as well.

“Félix,” Duusu urges. “You’re having nightmares too. You shouldn’t push yourself.”

Félix’s fingers brush his pocket, then slip into it. On the screen of his phone, Kagami’s last message: please come. He doesn’t know where. He doesn’t remember how long it’s been.

“I’ll find you,” Félix murmurs, over the crack of his ring echoing through his head, the reflexive wash of vertigo.

Duusu sighs and doesn’t say any more. Félix’s fingers are cold; the sun is heavy on his shoulders, and he keeps his eyes open. Step and step again.

[farshootingstar]

I realized it might take a little longer to make the other Spotify playlist covers for the Picture Perfect Boyfriend playlists I've been chugging along on, so I'll just post this one here as well already.

Got a playlist for the Ashino fans out there! I tried to make it generally a mix of songs he'd enjoy and ones that inform his vibe in some way.

For each character, I specifically start the list on something they'd listen to, so he gets Wannabe by Spice Girls. The second song is more about the character, so I chose Leave the Door Open by Silk Sonic, since it's a fun retro throwback love song, but can come off braggadocious to the point of smugness.

Aside from that, I'll make a cut below for game spoilers for Picture Perfect Boyfriend REBOOT. I suppose you can consider the playlist itself also a spoiler, but I hope people at least played some of Ashino's route before deciding to listen to this thing. :p

After that is a small string of fairly innocuous love songs. I thought that would be a fun way to sort of imitate the first date. Things are going fine (aside from some perceived self-centeredness) right up until it's really not fine. Arguably, the song Plastic Love by Mariya Takeuchi is a small warning, since it's about empty and unfulfilling flings, but I set Dangerous by Big Data and Joywave as the moment the other shoe drops. (Fun Fact: Ashton gets a song from the same album as Dangerous.)

After that, the playlist mostly vascillates between sweet, bitter, and a couple of anime themes (if you know, you know). I specifically chose Rondo Revolution from Revolutionary Girl Utena (they didn't have the actual soundtrack version, so I chose a cover by Shokotan), as well as Morning Grace from Princess Tutu. Considering his tastes, I would so twist Ashino's arm into watching Princess Tutu, if he hasn't.

Aside from that, I think the most notable detail was that I added two songs regarding summer, namely because of a certain someone that canonically loves summer the best. Specifically, I chose to end on summertime by cinnamons and evening cinema for a sweet note, despite the fact that the game isn't finished, so what happens with Ashino is very open-ended at the moment. I just want to end each playlist on some sort of positive note.

I think one of my personal favorite choices for this playlist was the very bubblegum cover of Sabbath Bloody Sabbath by The Cardigans. It's a really good match for Ashino's feelings towards the Bureau as well as the existential nightmare that is his life (similar to Ghost in the Machine by SZA and Phoebe Bridgers but with absurdly sweet production) and I think it can also vaguely work for his constant attempts to gaslight Kadsey (something I really wish I could berate him for).

Guess I had more to say than I expected, but there you go! Next up for a cover image and post like this will be Ashton.

[sapphim]

hi! i saw your post about da2 romances locking out. im sure this one is intentional, but i was once trying to romance fenris while stringing anders along. i did fenris’ romance, then got to anders’ act2 romance scene. i slept with him, then immediately broke it off in that scene. when i got to act3, fenris’ romance was no longer active, so i had to redo it and stop anders right before having sex. i think thats an intentional and fair choice, but it was unfortunate that i couldnt know the romance had been cancelled until a bitter pill in act 3. hope thats helpful!

given how rushed the game's development was and how consequently a bit messy the implementation of the romances is I would probably not go so far as to assume any behavior was intentional lol. as I recall, anders' romance scene is unusually aggressive about cutting off other romances, to the point of redundancy. they were kind of just freeballing it.

but yeah! what to do about overlapping romances does kind of present a conundrum, especially considering they were forced onto a very specific timetable (not a fan of the DA2 approach over the Origins approach tbh). anders' and merrill's romances are a bit broadly pushier than isabela's and fenris's, which makes it especially hard to end-game with isabela while sleeping around a bit because her romance triggers so much earlier than anyone else's.

[outrunningthedark]

I think I can see why the decision to make Buck the "victim" here. Making Taykay walk as the victim will invite more backlash to Buck and Lucy and they don't need more of that after the kiss KR and Tim thought to be "interesting" was critically panned by everyone. They had a plan/hope to keep Lucy in the team, and she would've never recovered if the cheating had consequences on Buck's love life because, you know, people always blame the girl when it's the heating guy's fault. It makes sense after all /sarcasm but it turns out to be futile effort since people are still mad at her inclusion because of various reasons.

Really, that cheating arc is so stupid they should've never done that. It's one of the signs the writers/showrunners don't think of future consequence when writing anything.

(tagging @randomwhee because I saw your prev tags about developing L and this answer is my perspective.) Right. There was nothing wrong with deciding that Buck should be the one to leave first this time, but the way Kristen went about it made things messier (more confusing) than necessary. Here's what I think. Lucy was meant to be introduced, have some "obvious" chemistry with Buck, and then the show would make a decision on the relationship as the season progressed depending on how the audience reacted to it. (Which is why Kristen told the media that they'd see what happens going forward re: where Lucy's story would lead.) Though it would have pissed people off (*raises hand*), the most logical choice would have been to break BT up in the episode after Buck meets Lucy, after he finally talks to Maddie at the latest because he does feel the attraction and he maybe *almost* acts on it, but backs off and realizes he shouldn't be stringing his gf along. (He's a clinger and he needs to change that!) Then Kristen would have had the rest of 5B to incorporate the flirtatious behavior and play up the will they/won't they dynamic as intended. (Literally took me sixty seconds to come up with. How embarrassing for these writers.) But because Kristen enjoys messing around with the characters now that she's got more influence, she thought it made a better story for Buck, the golden retriever in human form, to cheat, and tarnished both his characterization and any chance her new fave had of gaining the majority's approval. And since reminding people of that slip up was not going to help change any minds, the show had to push it aside and instead make the split the fault of TayKay only. (If Kristen thought it was integral to Buck's story, to his "regression", she would have kept going despite the backlash. [The season] ain't over 'til it's over and all that.) If I were a TayKay fan I'd have been pissed, too. If you want to break them up, the show already set up her not having enough time to balance relationship and career in 5x01 and 5x03. Just keep going with that - she loves him, but she'll never love him more than her career, or they're not on the same page about marriage and kids - and have Buck say they both deserve to be happy, and yeah, people would have felt bad for Buck, but TayKay gave it her best effort (in the eyes of the general audience) and it just didn't work. You make peace and move on.

[newmusickarl]

5-9’s Album of the Month Podcast – Episode 3 Out Now, Episode 4 Coming Soon!

Just a reminder that the latest episode of the 5-9 Album of the Month Podcast is now available, reviewing some of the best albums we heard in March. As ever I take a seat alongside 5-9 Editor Andrew Belt and Check This Out’s Kiley Larsen to review five high profile album releases from the past month in music, and ultimately name one as our Album of the Month at the end of the discussion. With some divided opinions between us, which one reigned supreme?

Then for our April review episode dropping in early May, the five albums we will be discussing are:

Language by Circles Around The Sun

Fuse by Everything But The Girl

72 Seasons by Metallica

First Two Pages of Frankenstein by The National

Garden Party by Rose City Band (Poll winner!)

If you want to listen to the latest episode simply click the link below, but also be sure to follow 5-9 Blog on Instagram and Twitter for more news and polls relating to the podcast, along with other great content like film reviews, sports articles and more.

Listen to the March 2023 episode here

Album & EP Recommendations

A Kiss For The Whole World by Enter Shikari

I feel like I say this every time Enter Shikari bring out a new record, but they really are one of a kind. When they first released their incredible debut Take To The Skies back in 2007, the euphoric collision of trance and metal was unlike anything I had ever heard. As a teenager at the time that record was everything and whilst many (including shamefully myself initially) wrote them off as surely being a flash in the pan, the St Albans quartet have just gone from strength to strength.

Across six brilliant albums, their rave/metal fusion has since evolved to include more elements of grime, pop and punk, whilst their lyrical messages both social and political have also grown in scope alongside their sonic ambitions. Their musical journey has been nothing short of a triumph and album number seven feels like them taking stock of just how far they’ve come.

When we last heard from the Shikari boys, it was at the height of lockdown when they were found revelling in the abyss on their most ambitious outing to date - Nothing Is True & Everything Is Possible. Now with A Kiss For The Whole World, it’s like the band have re-emerged from those depths, this time filled with hope, positivity and gratitude. There’s a sense of optimism in the songs here, with the band also referencing their previous work multiple times (“You’re still standing like a statue” on the title track, “Wish I was back at the Dreamer’s Hotel” on Jailbreak and “I went to live outside to find myself” on Giant Pacific Octopus to name just a few easter eggs).

It presents an interesting dynamic at the heart of the record, almost like the band know how dire the world is right now, but on the flip side they are just so grateful for their fans and the career that they’ve been able to have until now. With these contrasting emotions driving forward the writing, it all makes for a thrilling 30-minute listen that’s impactful yet joyous, and also plays out like a love letter to their fans.

The kitchen sink of ideas thrown at Nothing Is True… has also been refined a bit more this time too, with this album seamlessly flowing from one track to the next. As ever with Shikari, the singles for the record sound better in the context of the whole, as electronically-charged thumper (Pls) Set Me On Fire and motivational anthem It Hurts both hit much harder now. Leap Into the Lightning is then a dubstep-induced message of encouragement to make bold choices, whilst Dead Wood is a string-tinged adaptation of Pinocchio, with Shikari seemingly getting in on the Hollywood trend of revisiting that story but of course doing it in their own unique way.

If Dead Wood is their Pinocchio then Jailbreak is their Papillion, as the band repeat their mantra “I hope I keep hope intact” during the euphoric outro. It’s already one of my favourite Shikari songs and it leads seamlessly into Prodigy-inspired banger Bloodshot. As great as the main part of that song is, the Coda for the track that follows may be one of the most beautiful arrangements the band have ever put to record – an utterly stunning orchestral composition that successfully brings out all the goosebumps. It all then gets brought to a rousing climax with the poignant closing two-parter Giant Pacific Octopus, where frontman Rou Reynolds questions “I don’t know you anymore - or maybe I never did?”

When I get asked what Enter Shikari’s best album is or am asked for suggestions on where someone should start with their catalogue, I always struggle to find an answer. The reality is each new album is always as good as the last one, with the band yet to deliver a misfire across their 15+ years doing this - even when their batshit crazy, genre-bending sound is almost tailor made to serve up a misstep or two. With each new release and each new triumph my respect and admiration for the band only grows stronger and it seems with A Kiss For The Whole World, the feeling is mutual. One of Britain’s most underrated bands and I really hope they finally get their first number one album later today – fingers crossed!

Listen here

MTV Unplugged (Live) by Twenty One Pilots

Whilst not for everyone, I’ll be the first to admit I love these MTV Unplugged sessions. From Nirvana serving up an all-time classic live album with theirs back in the mid-90s, to incredible recent releases from some of my own favourites like Placebo and Tash Sultana, these sessions have given us some great music over the years. So when I saw that mainstream superstars Twenty One Pilots had released their own MTV Unplugged live album, I was naturally intrigued as to what they might do with the concept.

As opposed to simply taking the easy route and busting out a few acoustic versions for fans, the duo of Tyler Joseph and Josh Dun instead use the Unplugged concept to present their live show in an interesting new format. Rather than just using a pre-recorded track as they would normally, the pair use hands-free looping and sampling to build their songs out in front of the crowd in real time – even using the audience themselves at points as their instruments. Not only that, but the arrangements of their biggest hits have been reworked, some mashed up together whilst others simply remixed into a new alternate version.

Altogether it makes for a fascinating 30-minute listen, with the duo using the audience members as their drum kit on a cool mashup of Ride / Nico And The Niners, whilst also elsewhere serving up awesome live versions of Shy Away and Stressed Out. However, the pair save the best moment for last, combining two of their best songs in Car Radio and Heathens into a spectacular grand finale.

Listen here

Exotico by Temples

If you are looking for a summer indie rock record bursting with catchy melodies, glistening guitar solos and trippy instrumentals, then look no further. English Psych-rockers Temples recently returned with their dazzling new album, Exotico, which is just a whole heap of fun.

Drawing shades to the likes of Tame Impala, MGMT and Life Is Yours-era Foals but with that vintage 70s psychedelic sound, this is Temples at their bold, cinematic best. Single Gamma Rays already feels like it could be one of the songs of the summer, whilst the title track plays out like the soundtrack to a futuristic Western. The first third of the record really is all killer and no filler, with early favourite Oval Stones boasting the catchiest orient-inspired groove.

Of course, at 16 tracks and pretty much an hour in length, the less patient few may find listening to Exotico front to back in one sitting a bit of a challenge, especially within the current trend of shorter 30–40-minute albums. However, Temples do reward those who stay the course, with the hypnotic synths of Giallo, the mesmerising tropical guitars of Inner Space and the paranormal sonic vortex that is penultimate track Afterlife, just some of the delights in the latter half of the record.

I’m already finding a lot to enjoy in this new Temples record, and I can’t wait to return to it on those hazy summer days that are (hopefully UK weather!) coming up.

Listen here

Forever Means EP by Angel Olsen

And on the shortplay front, American singer-songwriter Angel Olsen recently returned with a spellbinding new four track, 15-minute listen. Opener Nothing’s Free is my personal highlight, a haunting ballad centred around Olsen’s soft vocals with a light jazz-blues inspired arrangement. Once those horns arrive towards the back-end, you’re sure to be swept away.

The title track also leaves a big impression, featuring a simple guitar backing and Olsen’s aching falsetto vocals with some slight shades to the late, great Jeff Buckley. The folksy Time Bandits is equally gorgeous, before Holding On offers up the fist-pump-the-air, triumphantly defiant finale, full of big rock guitars as Olsen heartbreakingly sings “Couldn’t see the light you brought to me, now you’re gone and I can see.” An excellent EP that continues Olsen’s typically fantastic recent output.

Listen here

Garden Party by Rose City Band

“There’s no better way to describe Rose City Band, and this new record especially, as the tightest, most enjoyable first set the Grateful Dead would perform in the late-70s - one in which we’re treated to the best freeform guitar interplay that’s still reigned in before the sun sets on a second set full of surprises. “Porch Boogie” invites the dirt churners to groove as Paul Hasenburg’s keys work (phenomenal throughout the album) fills the gaps of Johnson’s psychedelic solos.

As much as Earth Trip fit the times in which it was crafted, Garden Party returns to the carefree picnic days of Summerlong and builds upon that feeling for their best record. Letting the Rose City Band catalog breathe on the road has opened the door to the complete capabilities of Johnson’s vision for the project, and his supporting cast is absolutely locked in right now.”

Read Kiley Larsen’s full review here

Listen here

Also worth checking out: 72 Seasons by Metallica, Fuse by Everything But The Girl, Plus Ultra by Chappaqua Wrestling, Multitudes by Feist, Intellectual Property by Waterparks, Big Picture by Fenne Lily, Stay Teenage EP by Billy Tibbals

Tracks of the Week

Couldn’t Make It Up by Ben Howard

Two years since his last release Collections From The Whiteout, singer-songwriter Ben Howard has announced his new album Is It? will be released fairly imminently this coming June. With Ben you never really know what to expect from his albums other than they are usually a fascinating listen, but he’s given us a bit of insight to the album’s possible direction with this jangly summer number that will serve as the album’s opening track.

Listen here

A Child’s Question, August by PJ Harvey

Also announcing a new album this week is the legendary Polly Jean Harvey, whose tenth album will be coming this July and is titled I Inside the Old Year Dying. Interestingly it will also be her first independent release since 1992, having recently signed with Partisan Records. In her own words, “the album is about searching, looking – the intensity of first love, and seeking meaning.” The first taste is A Child’s Question, August, a typically stirring folk track led by ritual-like drumming and Polly’s choral voice.

Listen here

The Score by Grian Chatten

The Fontaines D.C. frontman also made a splash this week, releasing his debut solo single - The Score. There’s no official word on a full length yet, but this first taste of what Chatten’s solo material could deliver is mighty intriguing, a sunkissed and string-tinged acoustic number written on a lustful night in Madrid.

Listen here

Mermaids by Florence & The Machine

Last Friday, Florence quite unceremoniously reissued her acclaimed 2022 album Dance Fever, this time titled The Complete Edition and featuring a couple of reworked versions and a few new tracks. One of these new tracks is Mermaids and it is already one of my favourite Florence & The Machine tracks. Powered by rumbling horns, exquisitely written lyrics and an anthemic refrain of “Cheerful Oblivion”, it’s a phenomenal track that I can’t quite believe didn’t make the original album cut.

Listen here

This Is A Photograph II by Kevin Morby

One of my Top 20 Albums of 2022, Kevin Morby’s This Is A Photograph was an incredible project, autobiographical and reminiscent whilst also sonically invigorating. Now, the Texan singer-songwriter is releasing a new companion project to that record, titled More Photographs (A Continuum). The album will feature reworkings as well as completely new songs, with this first taste a sort of a mix of the two – a funky and cinematic sequel to the original album’s brilliant title track.

Listen here

Love Make A Fool (Orchestral Version) by James

Mancunian indie legends James have begun their much-anticipated new tour this week, where they will be joined by a full orchestra and gospel choir on all dates. Alongside the tour their new orchestrated record Be Opened By The Wonderful is due out in early June, celebrating the band’s 40th anniversary. Although it will predominantly feature reworked versions of their greatest hits, there is also this new gorgeous new track, Love Make A Fool. Wonderfully arranged with poignant lyrics, it serves as a welcome reminder as to just how James have managed to still endure after all this time.

Listen here

Double Fantasy by The Weeknd featuring Future

It won’t be long now until The Weeknd’s HBO show The Idol hits our screens, due to premiere this June. Naturally I’m expecting the show to have a killer soundtrack, and this atmospheric, neon-soaked collaboration with Future is a good indicator that my expectations are correct.

Listen here

Mother by George FitzGerald & SYML

Hot off the back of his brilliant 2022 album Stellar Drifting, electronic musician George FitGerald has announced a new four track EP titled Not As I will be arriving this June. Mother is the first single from the project, a beautifully ambient groove featuring American musician SYML on vocal duties.

Listen here

High Life by Bloc Party

It has become tradition for indie legends Bloc Party to release a standalone single following the release of an album, with gems like Two More Years, Flux and One More Chance gifted to fans over the years. Whilst High Life isn’t quite to that standard, it’s a great upbeat summer tune with a danceable central guitar riff and a catchy chorus.

Listen here

Children by Opus Kink

A band who released my EP of the Year in 2022 with ‘Til The Stream Runs Dry, ska-punk outfit Opus Kink have a new EP on the way in May titled My Eyes Brother! Children is one of three tracks to have been released from the project so far and is my current favourite, a wonderfully maddening sensual barrage of snarling vocals and cacophonous trumpets.

Listen here

The Analyst by pecq

And finally this week, electro indie duo pecq have recently released their latest single from their forthcoming EP, Amnesia’s Ritual, which is due out in early May. Offering unique, entirely self-produced soundscapes, pecq blend ambient electronics, ethereal vocals and field recordings into tracks that are quite special. The Analyst is a perfect example of this, and a good way of introducing you to their dreamy sound.

Listen here

Also worth checking out: Ribs by Rachel Chinouriri, Don’t Let Me Down by Gus Dapperton & BENEE, Rescued by Foo Fighters,The Canary Trainer by Smashing Pumpkins, Jealousy by The Xcerts, Three Drums by Four Tet, Time (is a healer) by Keir, Life Is Yours (Dan Carey Dub) by Foals

REMINDER: If you use Apple Music, you can also keep up-to-date with all my favourite 2023 tracks through my Best of 2023 playlist. Constantly updated throughout the year with songs I enjoy, it is then finalised into a Top 100 Songs of the Year in December.

Add the playlist to your library here

[cr4yolaas]

the first time they say “i love you” — various jjk men

tags: fluff, angst, cursing, descriptions of injury (gojo), guilt, not proofread

haikyuu version

𝜗𝜚 nanami kento

the soft lights of his kitchen fell onto your faces, each string of golden light illuminating every muscle, vein, and bone. there was a comfortable silence floating about. for once, you are both at peace — save for the bits of dried blood littered on your flesh and the distraught uniforms you’ve both discarded into some random corner.

you had finished your mission with him far too late, thus leading to his insistence that you stay the night. you could not decline, not when he bore a tincture of a smile on his lips and a warm radiance that whispered your name in delicate tones. you found yourself clad in his sleep shirt that was much too large for your frame. he pretended to not be enamored by the sight.

“kento,” you spoke. “can you put in the potatoes?”

curry was the meal of choice for tonight. very rarely did a man as strict as him indulge himself in such a meal, but he could only surrender to your persistence.

“of course,” he murmured absentmindedly while dumping the potatoes into the pot one by one as you continued to stir.

a small word of appreciation left your lips as you maintained your attention on the meal. the sight was overwhelmingly domestic, nanami noticed. he felt it in the way you wore his clothes with such familiarity, and in the way you wore his house slippers. it was evident in the way you used his kitchen utensils as if they were yours, and in the way you focused so intently on the contents of your creation.

nanami kento was overwhelmed by the warmth you exuded.

with his voice ghosting through the air and onto your skin, he whispered a soft “i love you,” the words foreign on his tongue yet natural all the same.

your stirring came to a halt. nanami feared he had done something wrong, until you beamed at him with a gentle phrase of reciprocation, each syllable making his lips curl up into a smile he had not worn for a handful of moments.

𝜗𝜚 gojo satoru

satoru felt a little too strongly at times. his emotions crashed and burned and fueled disasters in his chest that ruptured into much, much larger catastrophes, leaving him no longer the strongest, but instead the most vulnerable.

you sat on the table as shoko inspected your body. shallow, intermittent breaths escaped from the cracks between your teeth, the most immediate evidence of your struggle (as if the gaping tear in your arm and the gash along your side weren’t enough).

satoru observed quietly, bearing a patience that was foreign on his tongue. long lost promises of protection and safety seemed to be gone with the tides. acknowledging that much left him neutered.

he watched as shoko left the room without as much as a whisper. you placed your weight against your unharmed arm, allowing your legs to dangle off the edge of the metal. he loathed the sight — not because of you, but because of what happened to you. he approached you slowly, his footsteps in limbo as he neared the table.

with a touch that was slightly too rough, he placed his hands on your thighs, his calloused fingertips rubbing against the marred flesh. “i’m sorry,” he murmured. “i should’ve been there. fuck, i’m so sorry.”

you shook your head at him, to which he displayed disapproval of. “it was out of your control,” you whispered. he was grateful to hear your voice intact, at the very least.

“still,” he argued. “i told you i was going to help you. and now, because of some reckless mistake, i’ve landed you on this table while i’m unscratched. it isn’t fair.”

“it’s not your fault, satoru. i’m still here, aren’t i?”

gojo satoru was weak to your words. he buried his head into the space between your shoulder and neck, his haggard breaths fanning against your exposed skin. “i love you,” he uttered into your flesh, as if hoping his display of devotion would embed itself into each fiber of muscle and bone. “don’t leave me.”

𝜗𝜚 toji fushiguro

toji wasn’t quite watching carefully (like you told him to) when you wrapped up his wounds. he knew he was supposed to. but he couldn’t bring himself to, not when the dim lights of his bathroom painted you graciously, akin to the songs of heaven falling upon the most heralded angel.

his angel — a double meaning, defined both by your persistence to tend to his injuries and your gentle nature, relative to him, at least.

he wasn’t sure if the way you pulled harshly on the wrappings or the way you cursed at him incessantly would be considered very gentle by most. but to him, it was the strongest wave of tenderness he had encountered.

“stop getting into stupid shit,” you berated, your voice reverberating against the cramped walls. “i can’t keep doing this, you big child.”

the quiver in your lip sold your anxiety, the sight leaving toji with much bemusement. without much hesitation, his voice tumbled out of his mouth, a strong profession of love leaving his lips and falling onto your ears.

you paused in your actions, the medical wrap halfway around his hand. “… say that again?”

“i said i love you. what, are you mean and deaf now?”

you tore of the remainder of the tape with a newfound ferocity at his accusation, feigning ignorance to the heat rushing to your face and the stutters in your breath. “no, i just can’t fathom the idea of you saying something like that.”

toji fushiguro found himself smiling down at you. a gentle warmth encapsulated his very being and drenched him with a vulnerability he had not uncovered in years.

“believe me anyways.”

[jentlemahae]

it's kind of ironic and sad that there have been so many unnecessarily long blackpink hiatuses bcs yg refused to be competent and organized and blinks have been patient through all of those, but now this seems to be the first hiatus that the pinks themselves want (imo) and this is the first hiatus that blinks refuse to be patient for.

idk, it's a nuanced topic and i agree with many points on both sides of the argument. yes they should have more music. no it's not wrong for fans of a group to want more group content rather than solo stuff. yes we have barely seen them as a group over the past few years and that's not good. at the same time, if you genuinely got your hopes up for a bp group cb this year then that's on you bcs the pinks have made it very clear that that's not happening. to the people saying "they renewed their contract and there's been no changes" it has been 3 months, during which all 4 members have been working on their own things. at what point during the past 3 months did they think that bp were making group music? "they're stringing us along" are they???? them renewing their group contract didn't mean they were immediately going to release group music. idgi.

we haven't seen them as a group as often as we should have done in the past few years but i disagree with the idea that they've been soloists more than they've been a band. bcs if you take away all their brand work, what solo activities did they actually have? they had like 2 songs each and 1 kdrama/variety show each. none of them have really been able to release group OR solo music over the past 7 years and that's not their fault. they spent 7 years being messed around by a useless company and repeatedly expressed how they all wanted freedom to release music. now they finally have full control over one aspect of their careers for the first time ever so ofc they're going to focus on that aspect rn, which happens to be their solo careers. yes it's frustrating to not have ot4 music but i don't get why people are surprised by that and i especially don't get why that frustration is being directed towards the members all of a sudden.

100% !!!!! i completely understand blinks being frustrated by the lack of music and activity, but totally it’s misdirected because the main reason why we don’t have much music is yg, cause if bp had been under a different company we would have more songs and fans would be way less mad about the inactivity of this year. honestly, i think the reason why fans are way more whiny about this hiatus is bcs we know the girls willingly signed under yg as a group so i think some fans feel the pinks are to blame for this hiatus more compared to previous ones since they’re the ones who chose to stay. that’s utterly moronic though cause the choice was either renew as a group or disband, so it’s not like they had much wiggle room, but unfortunately fans are very stupid

but like u said, the girls surely want this hiatus too and it’s not on yg this time, but the reason behind the inactivity is that they’re finally focusing on their own music after years of being held back by a company !!!!!!! and isn’t that good ???? like if u are actually a fan of the pinks, shouldn’t u want them to experience freedom and do what makes them happy ???!!? i’ve said it before and i’ll say it again — i genuinely think some “blinks” don’t actually like the pinks and are just around so they can project onto them and live vicariously but they don’t actually care about the girls and just see them as content machines 🙃

[moemoemammon]

yay! requests are open! y'know that thing where the s/o being so weak for their partner? I wanted to request the demon bros being weak for their s/o? does that make sense?

like, for example, MC would pout a little, and say 'pwease 🥺' and the demon bros would be like, 'yes, go on, what do you want from me? would you like my-' they'd just be so weak for mc.

I hope that makes sense! also, if it's too much characters, you can just do mammon and satan :) thank you ;3

Their One Weakness: MC!

(Feat. GN!MC and the Demon Bros)

✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦

Lucifer

Lucifer is known as the cruel eldest of the brothers. A sadist whose word is law, whose will can only be bent by Lord Diavolo himself. And yet since you came to the Devildom, all you ever seemed to do was the opposite of what he asked. Yet he still came to love you. He wonders if he spoils you too much...

Especially when you always seem to get your way one way or another. When you proposed the chaotic idea of a massive get together between the House of Lamentation and Purgatory Hall, Lucifer immediately said no. It’d be way too noisy and he had things to do.

But THEN... You fixed him with those damn EYES of yours.... The big eyes filled with sparkles and hopes that pleaded to him.... stop staring at him with them big ol eyes-

Lucifer REFUSES to acknowledge how cute you are when you look at him like that. Well, verbally anyway. You look like a kicked puppy...and he loves puppies...

"............I suppose if we prepare right now and get a dinner menu ready, it could be possible. And if you pout any harder you might pull a muscle, and I doubt I could explain that to Lord Diavolo. Now, go tell the others what you have planned."

Mammon

Mammon is practically the biggest MC simp in the world. You always occupy his thoughts any time of the day. 'Oh, MC would probably like one of these'. 'MC's always eatin' this for lunch. I'll grab one.' 'This would be way less borin' if MC were around...'

But as the Tsundere 🤢 king of the Devildom, there's no way he'll admit to any of that! So what if he's head over heels for you?! That doesn't mean he's gonna be all weak in the knees the moment you-

Wait, you're saying that because he lost a bet yesterday and promised he'd take you out to Ristorante Six and pay for the whole thing, now he's gotta pay up?!?! No way! He doesn't remember what you're talking about, and that voice recording you've got on your phone is clearly fake!

Mammon's dead set on weaseling out of his promise, until you freeze him in place with your pouty face... then you hit him with a "please..?" and the Avatar of Greed swears he might die right then and there.

"Tch..! Damn it, I ain't got a choice when ya look at me like that!!! What're ya playin' at, pulling' my heartstrings like that?! Hurry up and get dressed so we can go! A-and ya better eat your fill, too!"

Levi

The founder of the top secret MC Cult Fanclub, there's not much that could keep Levi from becoming putty in your hands. He's used to idolizing the objects of his affection, and you're no exception!

So when it comes to bending to your will, he's definitely the easiest. Except when it comes to n-...normie stuff...

Seriously, do you think someone like HIM should be going to The Fall?!?! No way! Not in a million, billion, trillion years!!!! You shouldn't get him to go to that crowded club even if you dragged him there!!!

Then... you hit him with the cute act... You declare your loyalty to him as his beloved Henry, fixing him with a pleading look that shoots him straight through the heart, and... GAH, HE'S GOT NO CHOICE!!!!!

"At... at least help me choose something to wear..! I don't know how I'm supposed to dress for normie stuff like this!!! Aaah... I wanna stay home, b-but when you say something like that, I just can't win-!"

Satan

Satan openly admits to how he likes to spoil you. It's cute seeing how big your grin becomes when he gives you something you wanted, and how happy you are when he takes you out for the evening.

But there are some things even he doesn't want to do, like when you suggest going to a chess tournament with Lucifer. You've been pressured by Lucifer wanting to attend, but figured it'd be easier to sit through with someone else. So why not Satan, who'd mentioned liking chess?

Yeah... he'd go if Lucifer weren't involved. As much as he'd love to go and pull some strings to ruin the match for the dear eldest, he's got something else planned involving a well timed glue bomb and Lucifer's study. So he'll pass.

Or so he thought, until you started poking your fingers together and mentioned how you'd hoped you could both enjoy it together. Kind of like a date..? Gah, his heart and its weakness for unconventional dates-!!!!

"...I... suppose I could go. It’d be nice to study how Lucifer plays, so I can finally beat him. Don't you think the look on his face will be priceless? And if you're there as well, I'll be able to stomach watching his face for an hour."

Asmo

Asmo LOVES you more than aaanyone!! There's no one who loves you more, you know? Why, he wants to involve you in every aspect of his life, and actively tries to do just that! He's even tried dragging you into the tub with him a few times...

And when it comes to spoiling you, he loves it! He's always the one being spoiled, so it makes him giddy when he can give a little back. If there's anything you want from him, just tell him and he'll make it happen!

Eh? You want to play fangol? With HIM?? Um... pass. You know he just got his nails done, right? Asmo's not really a fan of running around with a ball and getting knocked to the ground, so... no thanks! ❤️

Wait, don't make that face! What're you looking so glum for?? He'll kiss your sadness away, and- Eh?! You don't want a kiss?? You really wanna play THAT badly?????

"....You really don't have me mistaken for Beel, right..? You really want to play with ME? ...Haaaah, fine! I'll play one game with you, and in exchange, you have to spend all of tomorrow with moi! Sounds good, right~? Now let me see if Satan will let me borrow some of his clothes...urgh..."

Beel

As a 'go with the flow' guy, there's not much Beel won't do with you, even if it's not really something he's interested in. As long as he has you around and a surplus of snacks, he's fine with anything.

Until you suggest going to Majolish to try on some stylish outfits. You mention how Beel wears variations of the same thing all the time, so it's time for an update! He thinks you're spending too much time with Asmo...

Beel isn't really into tight, itchy, stiff fabrics like the 'stylish' things they sell at Majolish, and decides he'd much rather go to Hell's Kitchen instead. He's hungry. Are you hungry?

'Stop changing the subject'? Ah.. damn it 😔 Wait, now you're saying you just wanted to buy fancy outfits because you were planning to take him to Ristorante Six?! You can't tell if he's blushing over your consideration or the idea of food, but now Beel's looking through the clothes with earnest.

"I didn't know you were the winner of that 'all you can eat' coupon lottery. When I didn't win I was pretty upset, but I'm glad to know it was you. Even if these clothes are weird, I'll wear them. Can you pick something good for me?"

Belphie

Belphie likes to spoil you in more subtle ways, instead of simping as hard as his brothers. He's still as much of a sucker for you as they are though, much to his dismay. All you have to do is smile and you've got him wrapped around your gross human finger.

But when you mention wanting to go biking with Lord Diavolo and wanting him to come along, Belphie suddenly discovers that his ears don't work anymore. Anyway, goodnight-

Hey, stop poking him like that. Can't you see an deaf man is trying to sleep here?? And what's with that face..? You're pouting so hard you look like you're going to explode. It's cute, but Belphie can close his eyes an not see it.

But then you scoot into bed with him and hold him from behind, and the sleepy demon starts feeling his resolve crumble. You have some dirty tactics, huh..? Getting all cozy with him just because he's got a soft spot for you...

"...............Why Diavolo of all people..? I'd prefer anyone over him. Ugh... Hey, they still rent out those two person bikes, don't they? I'll only go if I can ride on that with you. I'll sit right behind you and cheer you on, okay? ..What's with that look? I'm joking...maybe."